Don't Remember To Forget Me
by GhostNox181
Summary: A situation leads Max & Fang to the fight of their lives. Now Max, hurt and angry, runs to the whitecoats for help...to forget. But when the procedure works a bit too well, will Max be able to remember who the Flock is? More importantly, will she want to?
1. Make Me Forget

**Hey this is my second fanfic. The other one is not quite complete and is in for a sequel if I get enough reviews. However, I had this idea and I simply did not want to pass it up. So here it is my second fanfic. I hope you like it. My other one isn't doing too well. I'm not into the gooey thing so I will do my best to add some romanticy parts. Sorry if they don't turn out to well. Well enjoy.**

**This will be my only disclaimer. I DO NOT own Maximum Ride or any characters in it. I do own the new characters, and anything else I throw in. but I will stick to the basics as well.**

**Max's POV**

"Fine! If that's how it is, then I'll leave! You won't ever have to deal with me again!" I screamed, tears threatening my eyes.

Without waiting for an answer if I got one, I turned around, not even glancing at the frightened faces around me, and jumped from the high cave cliff, feeling his dark eyes following me. The anger the radiated was practically burning a hole through my back.

I let myself fall for a few moments, too angry to whip out my wings. But finally I did, and the sudden movement jerked me up in a painful swoop. When I finally did reach the height of the cave, I hit turbo, knowing every pair of eyes was watching me in silence. Every pair except one, which had turned away.

And it was the realization that he wasn't watching me, which made that first, and last, tear drip down my cheek, like a lonely raindrop.

The wind whipped around me, chapping my lips, and burning my face. But I kept going, as fast as I could, pushing the boundaries of my speed, testing the limits. And finally, I was where I wanted to be. Away from the pain and hurt and anger. Away from the terrible fight. Away from the people who I had carelessly abandoned. Away from the person who broke my heart.

I hovered a few moments, before descending into the last place I would have ever expected. The guards paid no attention as I strode past them and through the big white doors. White coats swarmed when they realized who I was, and dragged me to the Director. I gave no fight.

"Well, Max, to what do we owe your presence?" she asked, seemingly shocked. I bit my tongue. Why was I here? What did I hope to accomplish?

Suddenly I blurted out the first thing I could think of. "I want you to make me forget. Forget the flock, forget my life, forget my wings, forget everything. I don't want to remember anymore, I don't want to remember anything." Tears rolled down my cheeks, but I didn't care. I realized that I really did want to forget. I really didn't want to remember anything. I just wanted to be blank, to have all my memories washed away.

The white coats, including the Director, stared at me, jaws hanging. Then, smiling to herself more than me, Marian Janssen stood up, walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, my tear streaked face a picture of misery. She looked at me, her face showing as much sympathy as I thought she was capable, and it looked half genuine. As if she really did feel sorry in some part of her black heart.

"Oh, Max. Anything we can do to help." I ignored the fake motherly tone, but smiled at the thought she was going to help. "Come with me. We'll see what can do." and leading me by my hand, she kindly walked me into another room.

She sat me down in a seat, and even though it was rather uncomfortable, I felt safe. She placed a few electro thingies on my head, attached a few wires and gave me an injection. For a moment, my mind flashed with regret.

But I dismissed it before it got the better of me. And as I lapsed into unconsciousness, I felt… almost happy.

**A/N sorry its short. It's mostly just an introduction. So please review and hope you were intrigued. And check out my other two fanfictions. I'll update as soon as I can.**


	2. Whispers

**A/N so I understand people wanna know what made Max leave. But I didn't tell for a reason. It's part of the story. So please just sit back and enjoy the story, and wait until it comes to the point where it'll be revealed. So Enjoy the second chapter to I Just Want To Forget. **

**Angel's POV**

In all of my life, through all the experiments, and torture, and pain, that fight was the worst. I've never ever felt so scared, so pained, so… unsure. Watching Max and Fang argue, it was just wrong. They're best friends, soul mates. They're supposed to stick together through everything. They aren't supposed to fight. Not like that.

I've listened in, no matter how many times they've told me not to. They are so alike in so many ways. When I think of Max, I think of Fang. With one comes the other. It's never her, it's them, never him, its them, they, they're, not she or he. But now, listening to that fight, for once, I wasn't thinking them, I wasn't thinking they. I was thinking, she's so hurt; he's so mad and sorry.

And as I watched Max fly away, I tuned into her mind. She was sad; she was hurt, she was angry. But she had no thoughts of returning so long as Fang was around. And I knew, without Fang around, she would crumble, lose it. So would we, the younger ones, and Iggy.

Her thoughts were pain, and suffering. She didn't think about where she was going, she just flew. And then her thoughts were too far for me to read. So I tuned into Fang. But his thoughts were just as bad, and it hurt me to think, and know, how horrible he must be feeling now.

And right now, sitting in the cave, too shocked to cry, I felt more frightened then I ever had felt before. Through all the experiments, and torture, and pain, right now, I wanted nothing more than to have Max wrap me in a hug. But of course, she was not here. So I had nothing better to do as the shock wore off, than to cry.

**Max's POV (she's now known as Sam. Unisex just like Max (apparently) and 3 letters. Plus I love that name.)**

_Beep beep beep._

I reached over and groped for the off switch, finding it. I clicked it then sat up and stretched. Today was my 14 birthday. Was I happy about it? Not really. But 14 is a better number than 13 to me. So that was a bonus. Plus now I almost looked my age.

I'm pretty tall, so most people think I'm like 15 or 16. But I was 13. Now, being 14, I felt as if I was growing into my body. So, keeping my age down to 14, I threw on a pair of black jeans, and a red tank top followed with a matching red zip up. I brushed my hair back into a ponytail, and headed downstairs for breakfast.

About half an hour later, I stepped out through my door, and started the long walk to school. (Cheaper, good for the environment and we live in Virginia, so it's pretty nice out.)

I flipped on my black iPod nano. The first song to come on was Whispers in the Dark by Skillet. Listening to the lyrics sparked some kind of déjà vu in the back of my mind.

_Despite the lies that you're making  
your love is mine for the taking.  
My love is just waiting,  
To turn your tears to roses_

_Despite the lies that you're making  
your love is mine for the taking.  
My love is just waiting,  
To turn your tears to roses_

_I will be the one that's gonna hold you  
I will be the one that you run to  
My love is  
A burning, consuming fire_

_No  
You'll never be alone  
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars  
Hear the whispers in the dark  
No  
You'll never be alone  
When darkness comes you know I'm never far  
Hear the whispers in the dark  
Whispers in the dark_

You feel so lonely and ragged  
You lay here broken and naked  
My love is  
Just waiting  
To clothe you in crimson roses

I will be the one that's gonna find you  
I will be the one that's gonna guide you  
My love is  
A burning, consuming fire

_No  
You'll never be alone  
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars  
Hear the whispers in the dark  
No  
You'll never be alone  
When darkness comes you know I'm never far  
Hear the whispers in the dark  
Whispers in the dark_

_No  
You'll never be alone  
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars  
Hear the whispers in the dark  
No  
You'll never be alone  
When darkness comes you know I'm never far  
Hear the whispers in the dark  
Whispers in the dark_

_Whispers in the dark_

_Whispers in the dark_

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt like I was missing something. The words reminded me of someone. Someone I couldn't quite place a name. Someone important. But I couldn't remember.

I think that maybe that person was special to me. But who is it? If they are so special why can't I remember? Why can't I hear them?

I didn't have the answer, and instead resorted to concentrating on the walk to school. My friend told me she was bringing cupcakes in for my birthday. Sweet, but not necessary. As I said, I don't like birthdays. And that song so totally ruined my morning. I knew I would be pondering that all day.

Ah well, that's what being born normal does to you.

**A/N still kind of short by I have to be off the computer, well now. So it'll have to do. Review!!**


	3. Intros And Hope

**So howdy everyone. I thought I might let you know that there are going to be various songs throughout the fanfic, so if you do not like these types of fanfics, this is not one you want to read. Max/Sam will not be in a band because that's been done a lot, but she will be a fill in/helper for a band, and will occasionally drift into song. If this is okay with you, please ignore this message and enjoy the 3****rd**** chapter ******

**Max's/Sam's POV (would it be too confusing if I put Sam's POV for max? let me know, cuz Max's/Sam's POV is too long.)**

**By the way, this now 2 years later. Max/Sam is 16.**

"Sam. Saaam. SAM!" I returned to reality from that flashback, only to see one of my best friends, Jackie, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Mmm?" I mumbled.

"I said, Melissa broke her arm. We need you to sing for our band next Friday. You up for it?" Jackie asked me, a bit exasperated.

"Yeah, sure." I occasionally fill in for Melissa, their band's singer.

"Ooo goodie. Hey here comes Jesse!" Jackie yelled. Who is Jesse, might you ask? He's my other best friend.

"Hey Sam. Jackie." Jesse said, sitting down next to me. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. Did I say best friend? I meant boyfriend. Same difference.

At that same time, my 3 other friends came over. Macey, Trevor, and Mike, all sat down at our table. And yes, it DID have our names on it.

See, I live at a boarding school. In my small town in Virginia. It's the only school, so it houses all grades. Up until 8th grade it is not required that you live at school. But as you enter the high school years, it is required. And my roomies are Jackie and Macey. Then Jesse, Trevor, and Mike room together. Though it isn't really rooming. It's like, each house has a couple floors and each floor has 3 rooms. So we all have a room to ourselves, but our roomies are the ones who also live on that floor.

We've known each other since 4th grade. So when we met, we met at this table. Eventually people picked up on the fact this table was ours, and we wrote our names on it.

It's a nice table, outside, underneath a big weeping willow. It never gets rained on, but it always gets a nice amount of sun.

"So, how's it going?" Macey asked. Macey is kinda short, about 5'1" and is on the girls soccer team. And the basketball team. And the baseball team. I'm not really of fan of sports but I go to her games, and she's really good. She has light brown wavy hair and hazel eyes. She's the jock of the group.

Jackie is taller than Macey, but not by much. She's about 5'3", with bluish black hair, that goes down to her waist. Her eyes are brown, but kind of green as well. Not hazel though. She's a fashion freak. Prep, if you know what I mean.

Trevor and Mike are twins. They both have short blonde hair, and green eyes. I don't know how tall they are, but they're taller than me and I'm 5'9". Trevor is really nice, but obnoxious. Mike is kind of a jerk, but he's nice to his friends. He's got the tough guy attitude. I called him Mr. Macho once. He didn't like that.

Jesse isn't as tall as the twins, but he's 6' exactly. I measured him one day in health class. He stood so still I thought he was going to fade into the wall. He's what most people call emo. I call him that. He doesn't mind though. He's got the whole all black all the time thing going on. And he rarely speaks more than a sentence at a time. Mr. Rock, that's him. He's got straight black hair that's almost always covered by his black beanie cap thing. When his hat thing is on, his hair falls to just below his ears. His skin is that tanned color. Like his skin tone is white, technically, he just looks like he's got a great tan. And his eyes are so pretty. They're like electric blue. Which is really quite in contrast with his black style, but they suit him.

He was the first friend I made when I moved here. It was funny really. I had gotten frustrated with the school because I was lost, and had ended up sitting under the weeping willow at our table. I was supposed to be in class. Then he just came up, sat down in front of me and said "lost?" I glared at him and he had glared right back. That made me smile and I nodded. He showed me to my class, which turned out to be his too. I never really found out why he wasn't in class. We became best friends after that. And around 8th grade, he asked me out and I said yes. That's all really.

Me? I'm tall, I have blonde hair that is a bit brown streaked and has red tips. It's down to the middle of my back, when I'm not wearing it up. I have brown eyes. And I'm on the schools track team, and gymnastics team. I'm pretty skinny because of gymnastics, but I eat like there's no tomorrow.

"Hey guys. Nothing much. I heard next week we're getting new kids. And I have to show them around." I elbowed Jesse. "And it's all your fault. If you hadn't shown me to my class, I would have never memorized this school's map." He smiled a bit and shrugged.

"Really? I hope there's a hot guy. I'm sick of the people here." Jackie said and I laughed. Trevor and Mike faked looking offended. Macey just shook her head and smiled. And Jesse just, well sat there.

"SO you playing for the band next Friday?" Trevor asked me. He's the bass player. Mike's the drummer, and Jackie is the lead guitarist. Sometimes, when I sing for the band, Jesse joins in as a guitarist and sings some songs with me.

"OH yeah! You know I love singing for you guys." I said, and Trevor looked confused for a second.

"Singing? Is that what you call that?" Trev even got a smile from Jesse for that one. Then the bell rang over head.

Me and Jackie and Jesse headed off to Geometry, and Mike and Trevor and Macey headed to Chemistry.

I had a feeling today would be a good day. And it was.

**Fang's POV**

We've been searching for Max for about 2 years. We've had false leads and dead ends. Everyone's hope is fading, and we aren't faring too well.

Nobody's spoken to me, with the exception of Angel and a few mutterings from the others, since Max left. Its all my fault. If I hadn't been so hardheaded, so stupid she wouldn't have gotten mad at me. I cant do this leader thing. I cant take care of people.

And that point was proven when we're captured and taken to a school not even a month after Max flew off. We hadn't been looking for her. We hadn't know where to start. But when we got captured everything was clear.

They had shown us a video. It was filmed the day Max ran away.

"_Well, Max, to what do we owe your presence?" The Director asked. _

"_I want you to make me forget. Forget the flock, forget my life, forget my wings, forget everything. I don't want to remember anymore, I don't want to remember anything." Tears rolled down her cheeks._

"_Oh, Max. Anything we can do to help." Max smiled. "Come with me. We'll see what can do." and leading Max by her hand, she kindly walked Max into another room._

_Max sat down in a seat and electro things were placed on her head. A needle was placed in her arm._

_Max fell unconscious._

The film went blank.

"You see," Marian Janssen had said, " Max came crying to us to help her forget. And so we did."

I stared in disbelief. That was Max. she had come to them for help. She had willing given up her memories so she could forget the Flock, her wings, …me. and it was all my fault.

"what did you do to her?" Nudge asked softly. You could tell she was upset and I wanted to do something to help her but I wasn't Max. all they wanted was Max.

"It was simple really. We just turned her back into a child. Without wings. She's on a medicine now. It keeps her wings from developing. Her other features that came with being a hybrid, she still has some of them." The Director told us. " but stopping the pills wont return her memories or allow her wings to grow. She chose to lose them. She has to want them back."

I knew why she was telling us this. Even if we happened to find Max, she would have to want us back. And she wouldn't want me, but with the Flock comes me. it was a no win situation.

We'd have to convince her somehow. To want us back. To want me back. But how could we do that, if she didn't even remember who we were?

After that incident, we escaped and started searching the country. We figured she stayed in the USA. We finally hacked an Itex, and found Max, or Sam as she's now known, in a little town in Virginia. So it was off to Virginia.

_Please Max. PLEase remember us. Please just want us back. The flock misses you. I miss you. Forgive me and forget all this happened. _

_She'll forgive you. She's she'll remember. We'll find a way to get her back. Don't give up hope._

_Thanks Angel._

**A/N sorry it's kinda short. But the next chapter is skipping to next week, so I left it off there. Hope you still like it. I think this chapter isn't the greatest. OH well. **


	4. Play With Fire

**So, I'm getting reviews. And I thank you people. Keep up the good work. Here's the next chapter. It's the week after the last chapter, just so you guys know. Enjoy**

**This is Sam singing, **_this is Jesse singing, _and this is Jackie singing in the back ground. 

**Sam's POV**

"Sam Johnson?" I looked up. Mrs. Smithers, the secretary, was walking over to me with a clipboard in her hands.

"Oh, Hi." I said, returning to my fingers. I had been lazily picking at them while waiting for the people who I was showing around to show. Mrs. Smithers handed me the clipboard. It had a bunch of names written down, and where each name went in the school.

"Okay, all the information to show these kids around is on this. You're a good student. I put them into your hands." She told me. Then she got up, and led me to the main room. 5 kids were standing in a row near the front desk.

The tallest kid reminded me of Jesse. He was tall, dark, and mysteriously handsome. Like he was dressed in all black, had the messy black hair and dark skin. His face was impassive. The only real difference was his eyes, which were dark.

The next tallest boy was blonde; pale skinned, and had light blue eyes. His eyes weren't looking in my general direction but didn't focus on me. I realized he was blind.

The next kid was a girl with chocolate colored skin and curly brown hair. She had brown eyes and looked like she could talk. And talk and talk. Because Jackie has that mouth, and Jackie talks. A lot.

Next was a younger boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked exactly like the youngest girl, who also had blonde hair and blue eyes. I guessed they must be related. The young girl carried a small white bear with angel wings and a halo.

"Okay, kids this is Sam Johnson. She's a straight A student, and knows the ropes. She'll show you around, explain everything, and then show you to your classes. Sam, they're all yours." Mrs. Smithers smiled at me, and turned around and went back into her office.

I stuck my hand out to the tall dark boy. "Sam. And you are?"

He took my hand. "Nick. Nick Ride."

I pulled my hand back. "Nice last name. It's cool." He just stared at me. But of course it didn't creep me out because Jesse did that.

The next boy, the blind one, I knew wouldn't see my hand if I held it out to him, so I gently reached down and took his hand in mine.

He looked a bit surprised, but smiled. "Jeff."

I held his hand a bit longer, letting him recognize me. Letting him get my hand print into his mind.

"Nice to meet you." I said as I smiled.

"I'm Monique. I love your name. Sam. It's feminine but with a tough edge, ya know?" the dark skinned girl said.

"Ha, yeah my friend said that. I think you'll get along with her fairly well, even though she's older than you." Monique smiled.

"I'm Zephyr. But you can call me Zeph. And this is Ariel. She's my little sister." The youngest boy said.

The young girl smiled at me. "And this is Celeste." She said indicating the bear. I kneeled to her height and shook the little bear's paw.

"Nice to meet you Celeste." Ariel giggled. And I smiled and stood up.

"Okay, so as I said, my name is Sam. Yes I am a straight A student, but she really had no reason to tell you that. SO first I'll show you around, then we'll have a small break before its time for our classes." And with that I turned around and led them out the door.

I showed them all the places they'd need to know, like the cafeteria, and the library and the gym. Then for the break I led them to my table.

"Sam!! There you are. We were, well okay okay I was, totally worried about you!" Jackie yelled when she saw me.

"I have the new students, remember?" I told Jackie, indicating the people behind me.

"That's right! I totally forgot. How you guys liking this place so far? I've gotten kinda bored with it, but I've been here forever so that's why. Plus there's like no good looking boys anymore." Jackie sighed before smiling at the new kids.

"Yeah, that's Jackie. Monique, she's the one you'll probably get along with the best. The twins over there, that's Mike and Trevor. The girl behind the book is Macey. Where's Jesse?" I asked, and Jackie shrugged.

"He had that test, remember? He had to take it cuz he was sick last month." Macey told me looking up. I slapped my forehead in frustration.

"Yeah I remember. Well guys, this is Nick, Jeff, Monique, Zeph, and Ariel. Oh and Celeste." Ariel smiled.

I gestured at the table, and they sat down. Just then arms wrapped around my waist and someone kissed my cheek. I laughed and turned around and whacked Jesse.

"Finished the test I see." I said, he shrugged and adjusted his beanie cap, seeing as I had messed it up when I whacked him.

"Easy. New kids? I'm Jesse." He said his face completely blank. I looked over smiling, and my smile faltered a bit when I saw the anger that flashed behind Nick's eyes. It was gone before it really even came. I blinked it away, and turned back to Jesse and forgot about it.

**Fang's POV**

When that guy kissed Max's cheek, I nearly jumped up and strangled him. But she seemed so happy. She had friends, a boyfriend, great grades, and overall a great life. Without us. Without me.

She hadn't even given me a second look. Any of us for that matter. She clearly had no idea who we were or even who she should be. Whatever it was the white coats had done, it had apparently worked. And we expected to get her to remember us?

"Come on guys, it's time for class. Nick and Jeff, you have class with me and Jesse. Ariel, you're in the youngest section, so right now it's your lunch. We'll drop you off there first. Zeph, you and Monique are in the same section, the middle one. Right now is study hall. So we'll drop you guys off there." Max, or Sam, told us. She gave Jackie and Macey hugs, waved bye to Mike and Trevor, and took Jesse's hand and started walking away.

We dropped Angel off at her lunch time. She immediately found someone she liked so I decided she'd be okay there. Nudge and Gazzy stuck around together at study hall, before Nudge found some fashion magazines and the girls behind them, and Gazzy found comic books and the guys behind those. Next we came to our class.

"Excuse me, Mr. Jones. But I have two new students with me who are in this class. These are Nick and Jeff Ride." Max told the short bald teacher standing at the front of the classroom.

"Ah yes. Well thanks for bringing them Sam. You and Jesse may take your seats. Nick and Jeff, there's a spot behind Sam, and a spot up here near the front. I hope you don't mind me saying this Jeff, but perhaps it'll be best for you to sit up near the front. Nick, why don't you take that seat behind Sam." I just nodded and tapped the back of Iggy's hand. We took our designated spots, and Mr. Jones returned to the lesson.

The lesson was something about angles and percents or something totally mathematical that I didn't understand. Max however was taking notes, trying out problems and asking questions. Occasionally, she and Jesse would talk about something and she'd laugh and he'd give a small smile.

The girl I had ended up sitting next to was absolutely not interested in the class whatsoever. She seemed to be one of the girls who was into the fashion and stuff. So naturally she turned and gave me a look over before turning back to doodling on her notebook.

After math class, there were only 2 classes left in the day. Thanks to Dr. Martinez, Iggy and I had been placed in all of Max's classes. And to my delight, Jesse didn't have the same last class of the day. _And_ one of the only open seats in this class was next to Max.

I sat down beside her after giving a brief introduction to the class. And I mean brief. Max gave me a small smile before returning to the book she had been reading. When the teacher started talking she didn't put the book away, but the teacher didn't seem to mind.

"Shouldn't you focus on the lesson?" I asked, giving her a small nudge. She jumped and looked up slightly surprised. I would be too, I hadn't really talked to her all that much since we got here this morning.

"I finished this assignment last weekend. This class, English, is my second strongest class, but also my favorite. So I put a lot of effort into the assignment and handed it in early. Plus I'm busy this weekend so I couldn't do it." she whispered back.

"Busy?" I asked. She sighed and put her book down.

"Yes busy. Jackie's band is performing on Friday and I'm singing for it. You should come." I almost laughed. Max, singing? Well I guess you can't knock it til you try it.

"Maybe. But that's only Friday." I pointed out. She looked a bit embarrassed.

"Me and Jesse are spending Saturday at the beach. You're welcome to tag along to that too. Sunday I'm free but I'm gonna spend it catching up in Math." She told me. "Anyways, what's with the questions?"

I shrugged. I hadn't really spoken much in these past 2 years that I was surprised at myself. She gave a small laugh, before returning to her book. I smiled. It had been awhile since Max had laughed at something I did, that I had almost forgotten the feeling. I had never forgotten the way it sounded though.

"I'll be there Friday." I said and she nodded. I'm not sure if she heard me or not, and I'm not sure what made me say it, but I murmured, "I've missed you."

**Friday**

"Fang, are we going to see Max sing tonight?" Angel asked me when I picked her up from her class.

"Yep. Okay with you?" She nodded.

"I can't believe Max will be singing. I mean, she used to sing to us when we were trying to sleep, and then it was too quiet to be horrible. But she's never sung out loud, or in front of an audience. I give her credit though. People must like her if she does it a lot. I wish I could sing. I could try. I don't really know many songs though. Beyonce can sing. Have you heard her-" Iggy clamped a hand over Nudge's mouth.

As soon as classes had ended our first day, everyone was so happy having seen Max, that they somewhat forgave me and were mostly back to their original selves.

"Everyone ready? The show starts in 20 minutes." I told them. They nodded and we began the walk. We could fly, but the little party area where the band was playing wasn't far enough away.

**Sam's POV**

"Okay we're on in 10." Jackie told me. I nodded and adjusted my shirt. I was wearing a black skirt with a chain on one side and a red tank top. I had fishnets on my forearms, and my hair was down and wavy, the red tips perfectly visible.

"Hey Jesse, you playing tonight?" I asked.

"What songs?" he asked me. I thought about it.

"Um we're starting with Play with Fire, and then Going Under, followed by Where Is Your Heart. If you sing then we'll throw in Somehow, Somewhere." I told him. We only sing four or five songs, because we aren't the only band who plays, though we are one of the favorites.

"Sure." I smiled.

"SAM! We're starting. You and Jesse take your places. Announce the band, etc etc you know the drill. Now get on stage!" Jackie yelled at me.

"Demanding." I muttered as I walked on stage. I smiled when I saw the big crowd, and even more when I noticed Nick and the others had come to watch.

So, confident, I announced the band name.

"Hey guys! We're Venomous Heart. Of course you guys already knew that right?" I asked, and the crowd screamed back at me.

"Okay. Hit it Mike!" and mike started up Play with Fire by Hilary Duff. I came in once and started singing.

**Play…. With…. Fire**

Jackie and Jesse came in on guitar followed by Trevor on bass.

**I can't believe it's really you**

**Been so long, you look good**

**I hear you're doing really well**

**Don't ask me let me tell**

**You how I've been since when you left**

**Since you left me for death**

**But finally every tear has dried**

**I've wiped you from my life**

**Do you remember all the times you said you'd call me  
'Cause I remember all the reasons people warned me**

And now I hear you saying that you still adore me  
But if you think I'd ever get with you again  
Then you can just

Love me, love me  
Feed the flame  
If you want me back again

**Burn through the sky**

**Higher and higher**

**Baby, can you play with fire**

Burn to the sky

**Love me, Love me**

Burn to the sky

**If you want me**

**You never know just what you got  
'Til it's gone, you freak out  
But I'm not falling for that game  
Boys like you never change  
You made me feel I wasn't enough  
Wasn't enough for your love**

But it was insecurity that made you run  
It wasn't me

So don't you sit there trying to  
Give me more excuses  
I don't have time for this  
I'm off to play in Houston  
And I'm too busy with the million things I'm doing  
You can't make up for what you've done  
But you still try to be the one

Love me, love me  
Feed the flame  
If you want me back again  
Burn through the sky  
Higher and higher  
Baby, can you play with fire

Burn into the sky**  
Love me, love me  
**Far into the sky**  
If you want me**

Ooh, by the way, by the way  
I've found someone who gives me space  
Keeps me safe  
Makes me sane  
Found someone to take your place  
Now I'm safe in his arms  
And I decided only he can play with fire

Love me, Love me  
Feed the flame  
If you want me back again  
Burn through the sky  
Higher and higher  
Baby, can you play with fire

I can't believe it's really you  
Love me, love me**  
I hear you're doing really well  
**If you want me**  
Finally every tear has dried  
**Love me, love me**  
Can boys like you, boys like you  
Play with fire**

The song ended and the crowd cheered. There was something about this song. Something that made me sing it with more feeling.

**Fang's POV**

She was amazing. The only problem was the song she had just sung seemed to be directed at me. It seemed to have all her feelings bottled up into it. She had someone new, she didn't need me.

She sang beautifully. She looked beautiful. I could tell the other kids were really enjoying listening to her. I don't believe they noticed anything about the song. But I did. But she started singing the next song before I could think about the song much longer.

**A/N Sorry if you didn't like the song choice. I just thought it fit rather well. Review!!!**


	5. Emotions Sung

**A/N Okay so picking up where we left off, it's at the clubby thing with Max singing and Fang feeling like the songs are for him. Enjoy.**

**Remember this is Sam singing, **_this is Jesse singing, _and this is Jackie in the back ground. _**And this is Sam and Jesse.**_

**Sam's POV**

I listened to the crowd cheer as I got ready for the next song. Going Under by Evanescence. Jackie started the guitar and I came in almost immediately. I really liked this song. It had an interesting sound to it.

**Now I will tell you what I've done for you  
50 thousand tears I've cried.  
Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you  
and you still won't hear me.  
**(Going under)

**  
**The drums came in, beating steady.

**Don't want your hand this time - I'll save myself.  
Maybe I'll wake up for once (**wake up for once)**  
Not tormented daily defeated by you  
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom**

I'm dying again

I'm going under (going under**)  
Drowning in you (**drowning in you**)  
I'm falling forever (**falling forever**)  
I've got to break through  
I'm going under**

Blurring and stirring - the truth and the lies.  
(So I don't know what's real**) So I don't know what's real and what's not (**and what's not**)  
Always confusing the thoughts in my head  
So I can't trust myself anymore**

I'm dying again  


**I'm going under **(going under**)  
Drowning in you (**drowning in you**)  
I'm falling forever (**falling forever**)  
I've got to break through  
I'm...**

So go on and scream  
Scream at me I'm so far away (so far away**)  
I won't be broken again (**again**)  
I've got to breathe - I can't keep going under**

I'm dying again

I'm going under (going under**)  
Drowning in you (**drowning in you**)  
I'm falling forever (**falling forever**)  
I've got to break through**

I'm going under (going under**)  
I'm going under (**drowning in you) **  
I'm going under**

Something about the words to this song. They seemed eerily close to the truth. To what I was feeling in the back of my mind. I paused before making my next announcement. I felt uneasy.

Jesse noticed. I could feel his concerned gaze on my neck, because the little hairs were standing up.

I just looked back at him and smiled, and returned to the microphone. I closed my eyes for a second, letting the cheering and screams consume me. I didn't like the attention so much as I loved knowing people liked me because I was good at something. I liked being good at something.

I gave Jesse enough time to set up the piano. This song called for a piano and he was simply amazing at it. I waved to Nick and the others and the girls cheered and gave me thumbs up.

"Okay guys, for our next song, we're going to slow down a bit." I told the quieting audience. The place grew a little darker as one light focused on Jesse starting up on the piano.

**Ohhhh **

The guitar became a bit more noticed, and I started singing so the lights expanded across the stage. Not the strobe lights from before, but a gentle white light.

**I don't believe  
In the smile that you leave  
When you walk away  
And say goodbye  
Well I don't expect  
The world to move underneath me  
But for God's sake  
Could you try?  
I know that you're true to me  
you're always there  
you say you care  
I know that you want to be mine**

Where is your heart?  
'Cause I don't really feel you  
Where is your heart?  
What I really want is to believe you  
Is it so hard  
To give me what I need?  
I want your heart to bleed  
That's all I'm asking for  
Oh, where is your heart?

**I don't understand** The drums became bigger, the music more prominent.  
**Your love is so cold  
It's always me who's reaching out  
For your hand  
And I've always dreamed  
That love would be effortless  
Like a petal fallin' to the ground  
A dreamer followin' his dream**

Where is your heart?  
'Cause I don't really feel you  
Where is your heart?  
What I really want is to believe you  
Is it so hard  
To give me what I need?  
I want your heart to bleed  
And that's all I'm asking for  
Oh, where is your heart?

It seems so much is left unsaid (So much is left unsaid**)****  
But you can say anything  
Oh, anytime you need  
Baby, it's just you and me**

I know that you're true to me  
You're always there  
You say you care  
I know that you want to be mine

Where is your heart?  
'Cause I don't really feel you  
Where is your heart?  
What I really want is to believe you  
Is it so hard  
To give me what I need?  
I want your heart to bleed  
That's all I'm asking for  
Oh yeah

Where is your heart?  
'Cause I don't really feel you  
Where is your heart?  
What I really want is to believe you  
Is it so hard  
To give me what I need?  
I want your heart to bleed  
And that's all I'm asking for  
Where is your heart?  
Where is your heart?  
Where is your heart?

**  
Where is your heart? **

The crowd cheered. I felt really…sad. Like I was the one who's heart was missing. Like, like I was supposed to be doing something else. I had never felt this way when singing before. I had always gotten into the song, that's why I was good. I sang with feeling. But I'd never felt like this.

I shook it off, and turned to Jesse.

"You ready?" he nodded.

"Okay guys, for our last song, I'll be doing a duet with my best friend, and boyfriend. So give it up for our guitar player, Jesse!" the crowd went wild.

Jackie took off gently on the guitar, while Trevor took over on piano. And Jesse started singing. I love Jesse's voice. It's soft, like velvet in my ears, but he can fit so much meaning into it. It just flows.

The light focused on Jesse and me.

_Standing in our silence_

_I hear my heart beating_

_And if only I could choose_

_I'd stay here with you_

_But hold me til the train is leaving _

**Somewhere down the line**

**After you're gone from sight**

**Our love will be the same**

**And whispering your name**

**I'll cling to you with all my might**

**Let me dream, **

_Love is true_

**Of you, and wake me up**

_Love will be there_

_**When this is over**_

_**And somewhere, far beyond today**_

_**I will find a way to find you**_

_**And somehow, through the lonely night**_

_**I will leave a light in the dark**_

_Let it lead you to my heart_

_There's a love inside us_

**Deep down inside**

_That goes without saying_

**Don't say a word**

_But I'll tell you just the same_

_**That love will fan the flame**_

_**And that flame will warm the heart that's waiting**_

**You are mine and I'll wait for you my love**

_You are mine it may take some time_

**Even if it takes a lifetime**

_Tell me you'll wait_

The drums and the music became louder and the song overall got louder.

_**And somewhere, far beyond today**_

_**I will find a way to find you**_

_**And somehow, through the lonely night**_

_**I will leave a light in the dark**_

**And somewhere alone**

_Somewhere alone_

**I will be praying you home**

_Praying me home_

**I know that somewhere our love**

_I know that somewhere our love_

_**Our love will lead me to your arms**_

_**And somewhere, far beyond today**_

_**I will find a way to find you**_

_**And somehow, through the lonely night**_

_**I will leave a light in the dark**_

_Let it lead you to my heart_

**Let it lead you to my heart**

_**Let it lead you to my heart**_

The lights went down at the songs end and the crowd cheered wildly. I was happy. I loved doing duets with Jesse. Our voices mixed extremely well. And I just loved him. Being on stage with Jesse, focusing on following his lead was where I felt I belonged. Any sadness or confusion I had had before we started singing was washed away.

We got offstage and made our way to where Nick and they were standing.

"Oh my god, you guys were great! Especially you Sam! You're amazing! And that duet between you guys! Wow, you've got some great vocals Jesse! Simply amazing! Wish I could sing. I can't. Though I've never tried. Ah well never too late to start." Monique gushed. I just laughed and pointed out the karaoke bar. Jeff looked at me like I was crazy for letting her do that. Well, looked over at me, with shockingly good precision.

Nick, however, looked like he was ready to punch someone. I mean, to most people, he would just look indifferent. But Jesse's been my best friend forever, and he's never been much into emotion. So I've grown accustomed to reading between the lines. And in Nick's eyes was anger, and hurt.

I didn't know why, but I felt slightly drawn to this Nick Ride. There was something about him that made me curious, made me feel protected. That made me feel like I did, well when I was with Jesse.

And I wasn't sure I liked it.

**A/N okay so I was gonna go farther than that, but its late and im tired. And sorry for all the songs, but I wanted to get them out. Next chapter will pretty much be this chapter but in Fang's pov. So please review!**


	6. Missing You

**A/N heyy everyone. It's so boring around here that I've hardly had to motivation to do anything. But because I'm so totally bored, and because I know I should, and well because I want to, I'm typing my next chapter! Yay! I put a poll up in my Profile, so please go check it out and answer it. It'll help me write this story. Thanks! Anyway, on to the chapter. This whole chapter's in Fang's POV.**

**Fang's POV**

I listened as Max sang. She was beautiful, up there, in the lights, completely consumed by the song. But it wasn't just her that caught my attention. Sure she sang wonderfully, and she seemed to be captivating the audience, but it wasn't that that tore at my heart. It was the words, and how her voice seemed to radiate with hurt and anger that she probably didn't realize, that ripped at me.

They had moved on to the second song of the night. It had a rock edge, and she sounded kind of menacing. Kind of, angry, but also kind of regretful.

**Now I will tell you what I've done for you  
50 thousand tears I've cried.  
Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you  
and you still won't hear me.  
**(Going under)

Did Max cry for me? Did she seriously feel as hurt as Angel say she did? Did she really regard me with such anger, such sadness?

And I did try to hear her. I did try Max. But you weren't speaking loud enough. You whispered! How was I supposed to know what was going on in your head until you screamed it at me? I'm listening now, Max! I'm listening now, but you aren't.

**Don't want your hand this time - I'll save myself.  
Maybe I'll wake up for once (**wake up for once) **  
Not tormented daily defeated by you  
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom**

I can't save you if you don't want me to! You can't save yourself! You won't wake up, Max! You can't wake up alone! I'm sorry. I really am Max; I didn't mean to hurt you so badly. Please!

I ignored the chorus, focusing solely on Max, on her voice, and trying to keep myself from jumping up and shaking some sense into her. She had to realize that I couldn't lead a flock. Not when they didn't trust me. Not when they blamed me for everything. Yeah Angel had quickly forgiven me, but only because she could read my sorrow in my head. None of the others could. None of the others noticed how truly bad I felt.

Nudge was just starting to talk again. Iggy and Gazzy made their first bomb in 2 years last week. Angel hasn't cried herself to sleep in 3 months. They listen to direct orders. But they also know mentioning Max brings hurt to everyone, especially me. Even if they don't know how bad I feel, they know how much I miss Max. I think that's the only reason they even listen in the first place. They know some part of me misses her, and that makes me the same as them.

Max started into the second verse of the song.

**Blurring and stirring - the truth and the lies.  
(**So I don't know what's real**) So I don't know what's real and what's not (**and what's not**)  
Always confusing the thoughts in my head  
So I can't trust myself anymore**

**I'm dying again**

**I'm going under **(going under**)  
Drowning in you (**drowning in you**)  
I'm falling forever (**falling forever**)  
I've got to break through  
I'm... **

**So go on and scream  
Scream at me I'm so far away (**so far away**)  
I won't be broken again (**again**)  
I've got to breathe - I can't keep going under**

She was so far away and yet so close. So close, I could practically feel her on my fingertips. But she was just beyond my reach, a shelf too high for me to get to. A dream to wild for me to ever fulfill. We did scream. We screamed, we yelled, we even threw a few things. And I know Max. She doesn't want to be hurt again. She was afraid of me, afraid I was going to leave her again. But it was her who left. And she didn't even remember.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even notice the lights go down and focus on _Jesse_. That creep. Angel and Nudge started swaying with the piano's music. Even Gazzy and Iggy looked peaceful.

**I don't believe  
In the smile that you leave  
When you walk away  
And say goodbye  
Well I don't expect  
The world to move underneath me  
But for God's sake  
Could you try?  
I know that you're true to me  
you're always there  
you say you care  
I know that you want to be mine**

Even though I knew she didn't know me, I could hear the sincerity in her voice. I knew she doubted me. When I had… done that… I had seen the doubt in her eyes. Even when I smiled, I knew she saw right through me. I know now, that in those last few days, she had been quietly, cautiously looking for an answer, for me to realize what she needed most.

She knew I would never turn my back on her. She knew I always cared for her, and I would put her life before mine. She knew I loved her.

**Where is your heart?  
'Cause I don't really feel you  
Where is your heart?  
What I really want is to believe you  
Is it so hard  
To give me what I need?  
I want your heart to bleed  
That's all I'm asking for  
Oh, where is your heart?**

It's with you, Max. It's always been with you. My heart is bleeding Max. I want you to know that, I want you to know me, I want you to remember.

Max closed her eyes for a second, letting the music wash over her. People in the crowd were dancing, some just swaying, and some singing along. She opened her eyes, and I could see a trace of tears in them, that I don't even think she noticed. I did. I was her best friend, her right wing man. Of course I noticed.

**I don't understand**  
**Your love is so cold  
It's always me who's reaching out  
For your hand  
And I've always dreamed  
That love would be effortless  
Like a petal fallin' to the ground  
A dreamer followin' his dream **

**Where is your heart?  
'Cause I don't really feel you  
Where is your heart?  
What I really want is to believe you  
Is it so hard  
To give me what I need?  
I want your heart to bleed  
And that's all I'm asking for  
Oh, where is your heart?**

Why? Why don't you understand, Max? I didn't meant o be so cold. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I didn't see your hand, Max, and I'm sorry. If I hadn't been so stupid, so blind to you, I would have seen you reaching for me, I would have notice your pain. But I didn't. I didn't.

**It seems so much is left unsaid **(So much is left unsaid**) ****  
But you can say anything  
Oh, anytime you need  
Baby, it's just you and me **

**I know that you're true to me  
You're always there  
You say you care  
I know that you want to be mine**

Do you mean that? Can I say anything, anytime I need to you? You always believed in me, always trusted me, and I threw it all away. It is just you and me, Max. Please believe me. If only I could say what I needed. If only I could tell you everything. But now you don't even know who I am.

Max went into the chorus again, and when the song ended she seemed truly troubled. But Jesse came up and gave her a comforting gaze, one I often used to give her. And she smiled.

"Okay guys, for our last song, I'll be doing a duet with my best friend, and boyfriend. So give it up for our guitar player, Jesse!" I cringed. I was her best friend; I was the one she was supposed to be with. Not him, not _Jesse._ Me.

I tuned out the whole duet. I didn't want to watch Max being happy without us.

When Max came over, _his_ arm around her waist, Nudge gushed about the music, and it was the most I'd heard her speak in the past 2 years. All because she saw Max. Max smiled at something she said and pointed at a karaoke bar.

Then she looked at me. I knew she saw the anger in my eyes, as I tried so hard to disguise it. Her smile faltered and she met my eyes with curiosity. It was quickly replaced with understanding. I don't know what she understood, but that was the look she gave the younger kids when they complained about being too young to do anything.

I clenched my fists, trying so hard not to show anything, not to reach over and punch the kid. Because Max liked him. Max trusted him. Max had replaced me, with him.

"So you guys coming to the beach tomorrow?" she asked me. "We won't be swimming. It's too cold. But there will be a barbeque and a bonfire and it'll be fun. So whaddya say? You up for it?"

"Oh please Nick, please?" Angel begged, giving me bambi eyes.

"Yeah! It'll be cool! We haven't been to the beach in a while!" Gazzy followed. I shrugged.

"Sure."

"Oh thankyou thankyou thankyou!" a chorus of voices sounded.

Max smiled at me. It wasn't a full smile. But it was a smile nonetheless. Maybe, this wouldn't be as hard as it seemed.

Maybe.

**A/N good? No? Yeah didn't think so. Well anyways review and answer the poll on my page. Thanx!!**


	7. Emmy

**A/N I'm not getting many reviews and it worries me. Is it a bad story? I promise it'll be getting better! Anyways, here's the next chapter. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN MY POLL!!**

**Fang's POV**

We were at the beach. It was kind of awkward for me, being there with all Max's new friends. But the kids, and Iggy, were having a good time. It turned out a good amount of the older half school was here. It wasn't that hard though, because there were barely 200 kids at the older half of the school, being a small town.

I recognized Jackie and the crowd, and went over to them, because I knew them. The only people I didn't see were Jesse and Max.

"Where are Jesse and M-Sam?" I asked, curiously.

"They had to pick some people up." Jackie replied. She eyed me for a second, decided she didn't like the black profile, and went back to scoping out cute guys. I tried to be offended, but I really didn't care.

Then a car pulled up and Max got out, and so did Jesse. They turned to the back of the car but then Angel came running up with a few of her friends.

"Hey! Bethany and Nicole want to go see the tide pools! Can I go? Bethany's mother is coming, so we won't be alone, even though we're all 8 and can handle ourselves!" I just nodded and told her to have fun. She squealed thanks and went scrambling off with them.

I looked back up at Max and blinked. Jesse had what looked like and 8 year old boy on his shoulders, which looked exactly like him. And in Max's arms was a small girl who looked no more than 4 years old. She had midnight black hair in pigtails, and Max's eyes. Her skin was a bit pale, like Max, and she was wearing a light pink sundress. Honestly, Jesse and Max looked like a couple and their kids. And it angered me.

"Hey. You came!" Max, sorry Sam, exclaimed. I just nodded. Just then, Nudge came over. She saw the cute little girl in Max's arms and grinned. Nudge loves little kids.

"Who's the little one?" She asked.

"This is Emmy. Emmy can you say hi to Monique and Nick Ride?" Max asked the little girl. The little girl shyly looked up and waved.

"How old are you Emmy?" Nudge asked her. Emmy held up 3 fingers on one hand. Then she held up 1 finger on one hand, and 2 on the other. Max smiled.

"She's 3 and a half."

"She's so cute! I want one! Ariel used to be that little but she's grown up! Aww 3 and half? Well aren't you just a big girl? Can I hold her?" Nudge asked. Max smiled and asked Emmy. Emmy reached out for Nudge, silently agreeing.

Nudge took her in her arms, and tickled her just below the chin, and Emmy giggled.

"What I don't get an introduction?" the boy on Jesse's shoulders said. Jesse smiled a small smile and took the boy off his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. This is Corey. He's Jesse's little brother. He's 8." So I was right. He was 8. He did look exactly like Jesse now that I was seeing him up close. He had the same dark hair and blue eyes. But he was dressed in khaki shorts and a light green t-shirt.

"Is Emmy your sister?" I asked. Max's smile faltered as she looked up from ruffling Corey's hair, kind of like she used to do to Gazzy.

"Half. She's my half-sister." She said her eyes kind of glassy. She was lying. Somewhat. She had Max's tone of sincerity, but it was glazed over, hiding something.

I just muttered cool and left it at that. Nudge handed back to Max, who set her down at the table. Emmy looks at Max with hunger in her eyes. Max sighed.

"Emmy, you just ate! Remember? You had an apple and a pb & j sandwich." Emmy made an icky face.

"Burgrer" Emmy said firmly.

"It's burger. And hold on." She turned to me.

"Can you watch her for a few minutes while I go grab us some lunch?" I shrugged. I took a seat across from Emmy, who promptly turned and stared at me. I stared back. It felt weird staring into eyes so similar to Max's, but weren't hers.

Corey announced he was going to go play beach volleyball, and pulled Jesse with him. Thank god. I really didn't like the kid. He seemed nice, and he treated Max well. But he was my replacement. It was only natural for me not to like him.

Emmy giggled, still staring at me. I couldn't help but smile a bit. Max came back over and placed a plate in front of Emmy, to which she dug into.

"Sorry it took awhile. So many people, what with the nice day, and it is a beach. And I stopped to talk to a few kids from my class." I shrugged.

Max sat next to me. We both sat in silence for a few minutes, watching Emmy eat.

"She likes you." Max said randomly, still gazing adoringly at Emmy. It was the same gaze she gave Angel when Angel was little.

"How can you tell?" I asked. She just seemed to like staring at me.

Max turned to me. "The same way I can tell you like her. I can see it in your eyes."

I was taken aback. I mean, of course I liked the kid, I couldn't help it. She just reminded me so much of Max. But could Max still read me like a book? Didn't that mean she hadn't completely forgotten me? That meant I still had a chance.

Emmy had finished eating and got up, and without telling anyone, headed over to the playground. Max laughed.

"She's so independent. Come on, she likes to be pushed on the swings." Max got up. I followed her to the swings, where Emmy was already waiting on a swing. Max started pushing her, and I just kind of swung a bit on the swing next to them. Emmy laughed and smiled as she grew higher and higher.

"Sammy, Sammy! Catch Emmy!" Emmy yelled. Max smiled and stopped pushing Emmy. She ducked under the swing as it went up.

When Max was in front of the swing she told Emmy go. Emmy waited for the swing to get to full height before letting go. She went soaring off, and for a second I was reminded of when we taught Angel to fly.

We took her to a park, much like this one, and had her let go of the swing and try to fly. Both me and Max were under her to catch her if she fell. Of course, being Angel, she didn't. And she felt so proud when Max praised her.

I hadn't realized I was standing until I noticed Max catch Emmy and drop to the ground holding a laughing Emmy. She really loved Emmy, I could tell. She had that glow to her, the one she had when she was with us.

_She'll be with us again, Fang. Don't worry._

_I hope so Ange, I really do._

**Sam's POV**

I let Emmy go play in the little kid's area. It's a small fenced in jungle gym, with a few baby swings. She played there often, so I knew I could trust her by herself. I sat down on a swing. Jesse and Jackie came over, joining me and Nick. I saw the quick glare Nick shot Jesse, but then it was gone.

Jesse took the swing next to me, and Jackie sat down on the little bouncing tiger thing in front of us. Nick leaned up against a pole on the jungle gym, watching us.

"Any cute guys, Jackster?" I asked, using my name for her when it came to talking about boys. I started calling her it in 7th grade. I don't really know why.

"Nada. None, zilch. Zero. It's a pity really. No cute guys. I might go insane. Cept for that new kid. Uh, Jeff. Blind, but cute." I stared at her. So did Nick.

"What? He is!" I just laughed.

"Nick could tell him for you, couldn't you Nick?" He shrugged.

"Oh would you? That would be so great!" Jackie exclaimed truly excited. She started gushing to Nick, asking about Jeff, and his favorite color, what he likes to do, yada yada yada. I wasn't paying attention. The hair on the back of my neck had risen.

I looked up, ears alert, eyes searching. I tuned out anything I deemed unnecessary. I searched quietly, aware that both Jesse and Nick were watching me with concern. I stood up there was something wrong.

I whispered a single word before I started running.

"Emmy."

**A/N oooo cliffy! Please review! And answer my poll! Sorry it was kind of short, the next chaoter will be better and have some action in it, I promise. So review!**


	8. Not My Emmy

**A/N haha sorry for the cliffy last chapter guys! But here it is, the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Recap:**

_I whispered a single word before I started running._

"_Emmy."_

**Sam's POV**

I bolted from the swing, dimly aware of the others calling my name. I heard someone chasing after me, but I had no idea who it was. I couldn't waste precious moments to see. I had to get to Emmy.

Emmy was in trouble. I just knew it. Ever since I could remember, I'd get these feelings. I'd know someone was in trouble, and I'd know who. And right now, I had to get to Emmy.

I followed my feet, letting them take me to her. Then I saw her. She was following a butterfly. A BUTTERFLY! That's what made her leave the park? A stupid butterfly?

But it wasn't just the butterfly. She was heading straight for the busy road. But she was still a long ways away from me. I put on all the speed I could muster; thanking the heavens I was a track champion. Everything blurred around me, and I just focused on the little girl in my sight.

I pushed at my speed, feeling my muscles stretch, my heart speed up, my breathing come in short gasps.

Not my Emmy, not my Emmy, have to get to Emmy, must get to Emmy.

"Emmy!" I called. She didn't even glance up, still chasing after the butterfly. She was almost at the road and I was still a good 50 feet from her. My muscles ached and groaned in protest but I kept running. I could hardly breathe, but I kept running.

"Emmy! Listen to Sammy! Stop! Emmy stop!" I called out. I was crying now. My Emmy was in so much danger. I had to get to her before anything happened.

Someone called my name. I ignored them, and using a final burst of speed, got myself within 10 feet of Emmy. She still ignored me. She stepped out into the road, and I thanked heavens again because no cars were coming. Suddenly she stopped and turned to face me. She smiled when she saw me running towards her. Emmy reached up for me.

Just then I heard the roar of an engine. I turned my head to see a car come speeding around the corner. I reached Emmy, and scooped her up in my arms. I knew I didn't have time to get out of the road. So instead I closed my eyes and waited for impact.

I heard the horn blare and the tires of a car screech. Someone called my name, but all I could think of was "protect Emmy".

Everything happened so fast. The car turned sideways and crashed into me and I heard something crack. The force of the impact sent me flying about 25 feet. I used my gymnast abilities to turn myself over in the air so I landed on my back, thus keeping Emmy from getting hurt. My head hit the cement with such force I almost immediately blacked out. I felt my arms go limp as Emmy rolled out of them.

"Sam! Sam! Come on Sam, talk to me!" someone said. Their voice was so far away. I closed my eyes, the light from outside too bright.

"No, Sam, don't go to sleep on me yet! Come on! Open your eyes!" a different voice said. It sounded sad. I wonder why.

"Come on! Just live okay? Live and be okay!" another voice said, sounding frantic.

Don't be sad, voice. I thought. But then the darkness took over me.

_Nothing seemed broken-maybe his nose- but he was still out cold. I lifted his head into my lab and used my sweatshirt to dab at the bloody stripes on his face._

"_We could carry him, you and me." Iggy said, his long pale hands floating over Fang, cataloging bruises, lumps, and blood._

"_Where to?" I asked, hearing my bitterness. "It's not like we can just check him into a hospital."_

"_No hospi'l." fang mumbled, his eyes still shut. Relief flooded through me._

"_Fang!" I said. "How bad?"_

"_Pre'y bad." He said fuzzily, then, groaning, he tried to shift to one side._

"_Don't move!" I told him, but he turned his head and spit blood out onto the sand. He raised his hand and spit something into it, then he opened his eyes blearily. _

"_tooth." He said in disgust. "Feel like crap." Fang added, touching the knots on the back of his head._

_I tried to smile. "You look like a kitty cat." I made whisker motions on my face, indicating where Ari had raked his. He looked at me sourly. _

"_Fang." I said, my voice breaking. "Just live, okay? Live and be okay."_

I opened my eyes. A bright light above me made me close them again. The smell of antiseptics overwhelmed me. I felt sick. Blinking, I opened my eyes again. I tried to sit up but a sharp pain in my stomach made me stop and lie back down.

I was in a hospital room. Everything was white. I've never liked hospitals. There was someone sitting in a chair next to my bed, his eyes closed. He looked familiar.

"Fang." I whispered. The boy's eyes shot open.

"What did you just say?" he asked.

"What? Nothing. I don't know. My head hurts. What happened?" I asked Nick. He looked disappointed.

"Car hit you." I suddenly remembered everything.

"OMG Emmy! Is she okay? What happened to her? Did she get hurt?" I asked. Nick just gave a small smile.

"Emmy's fine. You took all the damage. Aside from being worried about you, she's fine. Jesse took her back to his house. He didn't want her to see you like this." Nick said. I smiled.

"Why are you still here? Don't you have other things to do?"

"I was worried. You got banged up pretty bad." He said, shrugging. He was hiding something. I could tell.

"That's not all, is it?" I asked. He blinked.

"No, but you wouldn't believe me." he said. I smiled.

"Try me."

"Well, its-"but he couldn't finish. Just then Jesse came in with Emmy. Emmy came running up, jumped on my bed, and carefully, avoiding my bandaged arm and my cracked ribs, and curled up against my chest. I stroked her hair.

"Hey sweetie. It's alright. Sammy's not that hurt. Sammy's just happy that Emmy is okay." I told the little girl.

"Sammy scare Emmy. Sammy save Emmy. Don't do again. Don't scare Emmy again." Emmy told my neck. I just continued stroking her hair and murmuring reassurances. Jesse and Nick were watching me warily.

After awhile, Emmy started falling asleep.

"GO to sleep sweetie. Sammy will be here when you wake up."

"Ok. Goodnight Sammy."

"Goodnight Emmy." I said back, not bothering with the fact it was only 7 pm.

As her eyelids drooped she murmured one last thing.

"Emmy's glad you're safe Mommy." I smiled a bit.

"Mommy's glad you are too."

**A/N does that qualify as a cliffy? It kind of seems like one to me. Whatever. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. It'll probably be the last chapter I put up for the next week, because I'm taking a little vacation. Sorry. Don't forget about the poll. Review!**


	9. Emmy's Story, Accepting, and Fast Hearts

**A/N sorry it's been a bit. I got back from a vacation on Saturday, and I've been feeling kind of down-in-the-dumps lately and it's made me angry and frustrated at the world so I haven't been in the mood to write, and when I have its all depressing and horrible. So I'm writing this now, Wednesday night, and I know that it probably won't be posted until like Saturday night because of my state of mind. But I suppose I can start now. Um, so people were a bit surprised with the ending of the last chapter. I got some different questions, which I'm sorry for not really answering but I don't really want to give anything away. But to answer most of the questions, just read the chapter. Enjoy.**

**Sam's POV**

Jesse stayed for an hour, before I had convinced him to go back. He didn't look too happy about leaving me with Nick, and tried taking Emmy home, but I refused, stating that I had told Emmy I'd be here when she woke up, and so I would be.

When Jesse left, nick looked at me with a _spill_ look. I sighed. There was something about him, something that made me feel like I could tell him anything. Like Jesse. He was so similar to Jesse, and I think that's partially why I found it easy to talk to him. I hardly knew or liked Nick, and yet I found myself telling him the story.

"My mother died when I was 8. I never knew my father. I came to live here with my grandmother afterwards." I started, looking up at the ceiling. Then I turned to face Nick.

"My grandmother was really old. She could hardly take care of herself, let alone an 8 year old girl. So I learned at a very young age how to care for myself." I looked back down at my sleeping Emmy.

"When I was 13, a man showed up on my doorstep. He handed me a bundle, a birth certificate, not signed, and left without a word. The certificate said _Emelia Makenna Johnson._ So I automatically knew she was related to me, and I could decipher that she was my half sister, because my mother was dead. I assumed that man was my father. I saw myself in Emmy, and I saw him in Emmy." I smiled sadly.

"Not knowing what else to do, I signed my name on the birth certificate. For the next few months, I took care of Emmy, giving her as much as I could. I had lost my mother early on and never had a father. Emmy had neither as well. I promised myself I would be both for her. People became accustomed to seeing Emmy at school with me. She was such a quiet, well-behaved baby. They knew I was her only hope, seeing as my grandma had grown sicker." Emmy adjusted her position; making me take a deep intake of breath as she nudged my rib cage. Nick looked at me with concern and I just waved him off.

"A year after Emmy arrived, a week after my 14th birthday, my grandma passed away. The people came to take Emmy, but couldn't. My name was on the birth certificate. In my grandmothers will, she made me Emmy's legal guardian. Everyone in town supported me. So legally, I became Emmy's mother." I looked up at him, shrugging.

"Does she know?" He asked. I smiled sadly and let my gaze return to Emmy.

"I don't think so. She's only ever had me as a mother. I've been taking care of her her whole life. She's only ever had me. I think, I think I've even come to accept her as my daughter. She kind of looks like me. It's hard to explain where she got the black hair though. My mother had a light blonde, and that man had a brown color for hair. That's why mine is a darker blonde. I can only assume her mother had black hair. But she has my eyes." I looked up at Nick and gave him a half-hearted smile.

"Any questions?" he shook his head, paused re-considering, and shook his head again.

We chatted a little longer, about nothing. Just getting to know each other. Then I told him I was getting kind of tired and I should probably get to sleep. He just nodded, made sure I was comfortable, and got up. But before he closed the door to my hospital room, he paused and looked back at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Thanks. For trusting me. And if you ever need to, ya know, talk or anything, I'm here." I smiled.

"Why are you so nice for having just met me a few days ago?" I asked.

"You….. Remind me of someone."

"A girlfriend, perhaps?"

"……..I was hoping." And with that he turned and left.

Now let's push pause on the little remote control called life. Sam needs a moment to focus her thoughts. So let's start with this.

Q. Why does a guy show up and act so much like Jesse?

A. Easy, coincidence. There's more than one emo guy out there.

Q. Why does said guy make me feel uncomfortable around him, yet totally at ease?

A. Again, kind of easy, he reminds me of Jesse. Okaaaaaay, I can dig it.

Q. How come, when said guy shows up, Emmy suddenly becomes all trance-like and nearly gets hit by a car, when she has never ever wandered off before?

A. She's almost four, she's curious.

Q. How come when same said guy comes into my life, I suddenly flash back to a memory that clearly isn't mine, that seems to involve same said guy?

A. Uh, overactive imagination?

Q. And lastly, why does same freakin' said guy claim that I remind him of someone?

A. I. Don't. Freakin'. Know.

Okay now, let's add all this up into one convenient conclusion. There is something about Nick, and it's giving me a major headache.

…. *sigh* you can press play now.

**Fang's POV**

I felt relieved. So Emmy wasn't Max's biological daughter. That means she wasn't Jesse's either. And Max had opened up to me. She subconsciously trusted me, even though she seemed not to like me entirely.

And she had said my name. It has been almost 2 and half years since I had heard her say my name. Oh how wonderful it had sounded. How soft in my ears. Oh jeez. When did I become so Romeo?

I got back to my room and was bombarded by questions.

"IS she okay?"

"What happened?"

"How'd it go?"

"Omg that was scary! Is she alright? Is Emmy alright? Are YOU alright?

"She's fine, Emmy's fine, I'm fine."

"That's a relief. We we're worried about you Fang. I Know it seems like we blame you, and yeah, we do, but we also love you still, and we appreciate your efforts. We know that you and Max were very close, and seeing her get hurt and wanting to be there for her but not being able to is hard for you." Nudge said. I stared at her. Then carefully and slowly I met each flock member's gaze.

Each one, even Iggy's, each gaze held the same knowing-ness. I smiled a bit. And in turn, they smiled back.

"And I've got good news. Well actually its more just news. I mean cuz I don't know if it's good or bad." Angel said. We all looked at her expectantly.

"Come on. You mean you haven't noticed?" we continued to stare.

"Just spit it out Ange." Iggy said. Angel pouted at him, realized he couldn't see it and pouted at me instead. What did I do?

"Well, it seems like Max has forgotten all about us, right?" various muttered agreements. "Well, if you look at her surroundings, you will see she has subconsciously remembered us."

Now it was Angel's turn to look at us expectantly. We continued to look confused. Angel sighed.

"My goodness people! Okay, for the next few days I want you to study Max and her surroundings." We just nodded knowing that's all we'd get.

Gazzy groaned.

"More homework?" We all laughed. For the first time in a long while, I felt like we had been partially restored. Now all we needed was Max. And I was working on it.

**Sam's POV**

I had woken early, so early that the sun had just started coming up, and Emmy's small little body was still sleeping steadily. My arm was feeling a lot better, and I could sit up without my rib cage hurting.

I thought about my night. It had been restless and I had tossed and turned, at least as much as one with many injuries can. I had nightmares and dreams, most of which I didn't remember. But one name seemed to play over and over in my head. Who was this Fang guy? And why did I have memories of him, when I have no idea who he is?

I didn't have any answers. All I know is that I feel like crap, I'm stiff and sore, and I want to get out of this freakin' hospital.

I realized my heart had sped up. That was my sign to calm down. My heart speeds up for 4 things.

I'm feeling strong emotions such as love or hate

I'm running

My mysterious power of knowing when people are in trouble is occurring

And lastly, if someone is lying to me.

Right now, I was just feeling strong emotions. I knew, deep down, somewhere in the back of my mind, this Fang guy had something to do with it.

And by god I was going to find out.

**A/N okay yeah a bit random and pointless. I just wanted to get Emmy's story out first, and have the flock accepting Fang again, without like blaming him entirely. Yeah that made sense. The rest was really just to make it seem longer. And the heart speed thing will come in handy later. And okay so it's only Thursday night not Saturday night bfd. Anyways, reviews are lovely and as is taking my POLL!!! So it would be much appreciated. **

**Much love.**

**Venom**


	10. Healed and Bad Spy Skills

_**A/N okay so I don't really know when I last updated and sorry for that. But I didn't really like the last chapter. And I only got 1 review. Come on people, I know you can do better than that. Anyways, here's the next chapter. **_

_Rebbie: Hi guys. I'm new. Venom felt lonely what with everyone kidnapping flock members and such in their author's notes. So here I am. I'm like an imaginary friend. Yay. Anyways. Venom would like to note that she is apologetic for not having updated in a while. She's been having nice problems._

_Me: Psh. People just can't take jokes anymore._

_Rebbie: ignoring that, on with story._

**Sam's POV**

I heal fast. Like super unreal abnormally fast. So I was out of the hospital in less than a week. Perfectly healed. That includes a concussion, 5 broken ribs, a broken arm, a fractured shoulder, a sprained ankle, and a very very very severely bruised back. And I got up and left the hospital with nothing more than a scar on my arm from the impact of the car.

Let's just say the doctors were nothing less than stunned. What can I say? I'm a stunning person.

I'm just glad I am healed because in one week on Saturday, is my gymnastics competition. And I love gymnastics. If I missed that, then we'd be down one person and wouldn't be allowed to compete. So for once I'm thankful for my creepy healing ability.

I went home and caught up on my homework on Sunday and went back to school on Monday as if nothing had happened. My friends new I hate being taken care of, and knew to leave me alone because I was fine. The only thing that really irritated me was how closely I was being scrutinized by Nick and his family. So finally I decided to confront him about it.

"What are you doing?" I asked casually, when I caught him watching me out of the corner of my eye.

"Nothing." He replied, completely impassive. Unfortunately for him, thanks to Jesse, I saw right through it.

"Right. So you've been keeping a close eye on me for the past 3 days because of nothing." I said. He just blinked. "Oh, yeah. I noticed. Work on your spy skills. You won't be getting into the FBI with the ones you have. So now, care to explain?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." He said at last.

"Try me."

"Well, you just remind me of someone I really liked. And she was a great friend to me and the others, so, I guess we just keep seeing her in you." He said. It was my turn to blink.

"Well where is she?" I asked. Yeah, real nice Sam. What if she's dead? You can't just ask things like that.

"She left. It was my fault." He said, his façade breaking for a second, revealing hurt and sadness. But the walls were back up as quickly as they had fallen.

"Oh." I got up to go back to my dorm. Pausing, I turned around and smiled a gentle smile and Nick.

"It wasn't all your fault." I said. I wasn't sure why, but I was absolutely positive that it was only partially his fault. In the back of my mind, something clicked. But I didn't know what.

**Fang's POV**

I had started noticing what Angel was trying to get us to notice. It wasn't Max's surroundings so much as who she was surrounded by. Like for instance, Jesse. Her best friend. Wears all black, hardly speaks a word, and is extremely protective of her. Just like me.

Then Trevor and Mike. They were the two halves of Iggy. Trevor was the nice but irritating part of Iggy. The one who cares about is family, but won't hesitate to crack a joke or sarcastic remark. And Mike was the part of Iggy that doesn't like being told what to do just because he's blind.

Jackie is Nudge. They both talk and love fashion. They are both slightly forgetful but both care for Max a lot. But in a way Macey is also Nudge. She likes to learn.

Jesse's younger brother Corey is Gazzy. Max ruffles his hair like she did to Gazzy. And she's protective of him. Corey is immature, but tough when he wants to be. Plus he gets along really well with the twins.

And lastly, there's Emmy. Emmy is clearly Angel. Max thinks of Emmy as her own, and simply adores her. And Emmy always seems to say what she's thinking, and she seems to be a quick learner. Just like Angel.

So now I see what Angel meant when she said Max hadn't totally forgotten about us. Because she had surrounded herself with people who reminded her of us. She doesn't remember us and doesn't know that her subconscious mind is keeping her memories close at hand but unreached. But that just means she does remember us to some extent.

So this should make my life so much easier.

I had been contemplating this when she caught me watching her.

She sat down beside me. "What are you doing?" she asked casually.

"Nothing." I replied. Crap!

"Right. So you've been keeping a close eye on me for the past 3 days because of nothing." She said.

I blinked. I hadn't realized she'd noticed.

"Oh, yeah. I noticed. Work on your spy skills. You won't be getting into the FBI with the ones you have. So now, care to explain?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." I said after a pause.

"Try me." well okay, if she wants me to…

"Well, you just remind me of someone I really liked. And she was a great friend to me and the others, so, I guess we just keep seeing her in you."

"Well where is she?" My heart stopped. I wanted to just blurt out that she was sitting right here. Right here, talking to me. And didn't know it. I just wanted to wrap her in my arms and apologize until she went deaf. Instead I opted for some form of truth.

"She left. It was my fault." I said, letting the hurt I felt wash over me for a quick second, before closing it back up.

"Oh." She got up. But she paused, and turned around and smiled a gentle smile, one she used for the little kids, at me.

"It wasn't all your fault." She told me. And for some reason, I think she meant it.

**A/N Okay yeah this is rather short, sorry. **

_Rebbie: She really is. But she also doesn't feel like writing this anymore._

_Me: REBBIE!!!_

_Rebbie: What? I just state it as I see it. After all, you created me that way._

_Me: Freakin imaginary people always have a point._

_Rebbie: Reviews are lovely. The poll is still up. See you next chapter._


	11. Senses, What She Was Like

**A/N Wow it's been a while hasn't it? I'm really sorry. But lots of things have been going on and I haven't been able to shake off this down in the dumps feeling. So I've been having a real difficult time getting motivated. Plus I started high school and it's been a pain in my a-butt. **

**Rebbie: she has. You should see her mope around. But she's still been planning what's going on in this story, only now she's writing it.**

**Me: thanks for your input. Can we just get on with the chapter?**

**Rebbie: Right. Don't want to keep you waiting.**

**Me: And I'm not getting a lot of reviews! I know a lot of people are reading this, so I don't see why I'm not getting a lot of reviews. I'm not mad, but I'm slightly upset. Life has been hectic and a few ore reviews would make me happy.**

**Rebbie: she's complaining again….**

**Sam's POV**

I stood outside in the crisp fall air. It was a Saturday morning. I hadn't gone to pick up Emmy yet. She stays with me on the weekends and at Jesse's house during the week. The sun was just starting to rise, beautiful pinks, oranges, and yellows in the sky. It was a bit cold, so I pulled my off white cardigan closer to me.

I started walking down the path in the woods near the soccer field. At first I enjoyed the quiet, but then I started singing a weird song I knew softly (**A/N the song is called Senses Working Over Time by Mandy Moore. There is no real reason I put this in here. It's just a weird song)**

**One two three four five**

**Hey hey  
Clouds are whey  
There's straw for the donkeys and the innocents  
Can all sleep safely, all sleep safely  
My, my the sun is pie  
There's fodder for the cannons and the guilty ones  
Can all sleep safely, all sleep safely**

A few birds twittered and I saw a squirrel run in front of me, and I smiled. I rarely had time on my own like this.

**And all the world is football-shaped  
It's just for me to kick in space  
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste  
And I've got one, two, three, four, five**

Senses working overtime  
Trying to take this all in  
I've got one, two, three, four, five  
Senses working overtime  
Trying to taste the difference 'tween the lemons and limes  
The pain and the pleasure  
And the church bells softly chime

I think the chorus is my favorite part of this song. It's odd but it's oddly catchy.

**Hey hey, night fights day  
There's food for the thinkers and the innocents  
Can all live slowly, all live slowly  
My, my the sky will cry  
Jewels for the thirsty and the guilty ones  
Can all die slowly, all die slowly**

I knew someone was outside with me, listening to me sing, but I was too happy and calm right now to care. So I continued.

**And all the world is biscuit shaped  
It's just for me to feed my face  
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste**

And I've got one, two, three, four, five  
Senses working overtime  
Trying to take this all in  
I've got one, two, three, four, five  
Senses working overtime  
Trying to taste the difference 'tween the lemons and limes  
The pain and the pleasure  
And the church bells softly chime

I walked a little slower now, my feet even softer on the ground, trying to hear the footsteps behind me, but the person had either stopped or was walking just as slow. I think they knew I knew they were there.

But nevertheless I continued singing.

**And birds might fall from black skies  
Bullies might give you black eyes  
Busses might skid on black ice  
But to me it's very very beautiful**

And all the world is football shaped  
It's just for me to kick in space  
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste

And I've got one, two, three, four, five  
Senses working overtime  
Trying to take this all in  
I've got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime  
Trying to taste the difference 'tween the lemons and limes  
The pain and the pleasure  
And the church bells softly chime

I stopped singing and walking at the same time. I must have stopped too short, for the person behind me stumbled almost imperceptibly.

"Beautiful day, isn't it Nick?" I asked casually, staring up at the still rising sun, my hands in the pockets of my cardigan.

"I suppose." He replied after a moment, and I knew he was still looking at me, and not up at the sky.

"I guess you're right. The day has only just begun. We won't know if it was truly a beautiful day until after it is over, and we are reflecting on our actions and interactions with others and with the world itself." I said.

"Poetic." He commented. I smiled, taking my eyes off the sky and looking down at the colorful leaves that had just fallen to the ground this morning. I shuffled my foot around, digging my toe into the dirt.

"I guess I've got a little poetry in me." I replied.

"You have a nice voice." He said. I laughed softly.

"Of course. Why do you think I talk so much?" I joked.

"I meant singing." He said, and I knew he had smiled a little. Suddenly I whirled around.

"Why were you following me?"I asked, maybe a bit harsher than I had to.

"Well, Max, she used to wake up early, and we'd walk together." He said. I winced. For some reason the name Max stung.

"This Max, what was she like?" I asked, curious.

He looked sad, and something else. Regretful? "She was beautiful. She was kind, especially to the younger kids. She always knew what to say to make them stop crying, or get them to stop arguing. But she was tough. She knew how to fight. She was proud, but not egotistical. And she always put others first. And stubborn. She would have it her way, or not at all. She hated feeling helpless. Hah, she walked out on so many people who tried to tell her what to do."

"She sounded high maintenance."

"She was. But you couldn't not like her. She was sweet and nice and compassionate. Sometimes she got too demanding and too motherly, and she'd get so offended when the kids didn't listen that she'd pull away. But they always got her with their bambi eyes. Always." He looked up over my head, at something beyond me, as if he couldn't meet my eyes.

"You seem to know all about her." I said, feeling slightly bad for him that this girl had left, and that he blamed himself. She seemed so special, so important to him.

"I should. She was my best friend." He met my eyes now, and we stayed that way for a while, his dark eyes holding my light brown ones.

"You are so alike." He said, so softly, that if it weren't for the fact that his eyes softened slightly and his lips moved, I wouldn't have realized he was talking at all.

"Why'd she, why'd she leave?" I asked hesitantly, never breaking eye contact. I knew I was getting him to talk more than he would normally do, and I knew if I didn't keep him talking, he'd close up again and I wouldn't get anything more out of him.

"I did something stupid. Something so completely stupid. And I didn't realize how it hurt her. So she took off one night without a word. Changed her name and forgot everything." He said, his eyes conveying something to me. As if he had a secret meaning in what he was saying that he wanted me to get, to understand.

"Changed her name?" I asked.

He nodded.

"_You are so alike."_

"_You remind me of someone."_

"_Changed her name and forgot everything."_

_Fang._

I broke the eye contact and turned away. I had to get out of there. I was confused, I need to think.

"I-I have to go. Emmy will be waiting for me." I said I as abruptly started walking away.

My thoughts were meddled and I was confused and I knew I was being watched from behind. But I wasn't going to let him think like that with me around. He had no right at hinting at such absurdities.

But, what if he was right?

**Me: yes? No? maybe? Sucked? Honesty is lovely people, I value it greatly.**

**Rebbie: review please. She likes to feel loved. Flames welcome, just not toooo harsh, if you don't mind. **

**Me: ahaha of course compliments are even better. I love reviews, lovely lovely reviews.**


	12. Puckcorn And Grocery Shopping

**Rebbie: Hi Hi! **

**Me: *cough* Hi**

**Rebbie: She's sick again. So anyway here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay. We wrote one thing but then we didn't like it, so we rewrote it, and then changed it again, and so on. We are terribly sorry about the lateness, but you'd rather a late good chapter than a rushed horrible one, right? So let's ignore the sickened one, and get on with the story we are hoping came out right.**

**Me: No- *cough* sympathy? How rude!**

**Sam's POV**

"Hey Emmy-kins." I said, picking up the little girl and kissing her cheek. She was wearing a cute blue sundress with a black sweater over it; her black hair falling in gentles waves around her face. "What do you want to do this weekend?"

"Emmy doesn't know. Is there a movie out that Emmy can see?" Emmy said, hugging my neck.

"Sure. We could go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?" I suggest. I know Emmy had seen a few previews for that. And it had seemed like a fairly decent children's movie. Childish for her, yet entertaining for me. But even if it wasn't entertaining for me, I'd be getting to spend time with my little girl so it would be fun anyway.

"Yeah! Emmy wants to see that! Wait, didn't Sammy have a gym-mast-nics meet?"

I laughed. Emmy always pronounces gymnastics, gym-mast-nics, despite my efforts to help.

"No, the meet was cancelled. The other group was flying in from Washington, and they just got a ton of snow, so their plane was cancelled. The meet was postponed until next Saturday, which means I have all day with you!" I told her, poking her lightly on the nose, earning a giggle.

"Do you have enough of her medicine back at your dorm?" Mrs. Woods asked. I nodded.

"I have enough of her dose, and enough of my dose. We should be fine. Worst case scenario, Jesse keeps back-up in his dorm because of that incident. I have plenty of fun snacks, healthy and unhealthy, I just came into some new movies, and we'll have a ball."

"Oh, I know Sam. It's just these mothering instincts. I don't mean to be such a worrywart."

"It's alright. I don't know what time I'll have her back tomorrow. But Monday morning first period I have a study, so I think I'll keep her a little later than usual." I said, shifting Emmy around on my hip.

"Okay. But make sure you get your rest too. This one can be a handful." Mr. Woods said, and Emmy giggled. We turned around and headed to my car.

We waved goodbye to Jesse's parents, and I slid Emmy into her car seat. "Is Jesse and Jackie coming?"

"Not to the movie. Jesse has to work and Jackie's babysitting Madison." I laughed at Emmy's face. Emmy had scrunched up her face in disgust. Emmy found Madison pushy and bossy. They were total polar opposites, Madison and Emmy. You could tell Emmy would be the artistic curious type, and Madison would be the popular cheerleader type. Her sister was.

Her sister was Bianca. Like, from 10 Things I Hate About You. Her sister was captain of the cheer squad, going out with the quarterback of the football team, had long blonde hair and blue eyes, and her favorite color was pink. She was so stereotypical, it was pathetic.

Bianca and I, we butt heads. Hard. In 7th grade, she cheated off my test, the teachers caught her, but she blamed _me_, and I got detention. I got her back, unintentionally, at the 8th grade dance where I was crowned the junior high's Snow Ball Princess (gag me, please). But the look on her face was priceless. Since then, she's been doing everything and anything to get even with me, but I've always managed to best her. Cheer squad makes championships? Gymnastics team gets to try out for junior Olympics. She got a used convertible; I got a new Mazda Tribute. Hah.

Granted, the only reason I could afford it was because my grandmother apparently had a lot of retirement money. A lot. Most of it was put away, inaccessible by me until I turned 18, however I was granted the use of a decent amount for the care of Emmy, and a car would be useful for bringing her places. And it's a nice car. But Bianca didn't like that, and is still ticked.

And now her little sister is following closely in her footsteps, just behind Emmy. Because my little Emmy is following in my footsteps.

"We can have Jackie sleep over if you'd like, and everybody can come over for movie night tonight."

"Yeah! Can we make puck-corn and smoothies? And cookies? And tacos!" I laughed as I buckled her in.

"Uh, we can try. And its popcorn, sweetie. With a p." I told her. I was about to shut the door when Emmy screeched.

"Emelia! Good heavens! My poor ears will never recover from that. What on earth caused that?"

"You didn't buckle Star!" She yelled at me. I raised an eyebrow. Star was her favorite teddy bear, which she took everywhere. He was all black, with really soft fur that didn't lose its softness no matter what she did to him.

Well, okay he wasn't all black. His left ear was white. She dropped Star in the mud and I attempted to wash him. Let's say the bleach and I got into a fight, and the bleach won. Who knew you weren't supposed to bleach darks? Oops.

"Sorry Ems, I forgot. Don't worry, I'll buckle Star in right now." She smiled at me, that bipolar child.

Finally, we we're both in the car, on our way to the movies, and hopefully a nice day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- _Rebbie: I am a page break-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

The movie was hilarious. Some things went over Emmy's head, and I was kind of thinking _did they really put that in a child's movie? _But overall both of us were cracking up, and the theater was pretty much empty so when Emmy laughed so hard her popcorn went everywhere, nobody cared.

"Hey Emmy, we have to stop by the store if you want to make tacos and smoothies tonight, okay?"

"Mhm."

"Is there anything you want while we're here?" I asked, pulling into a parking space.

"Strawberries, and peaches. And marshmallows. And macaroni and cheese and bread and bagels and cream cheese and milk and juice boxes, the blue ones, and cheese cake and apple sauce and cinnamon buns, but only the ones Jackie likes. And yogurt. And orange tic-tacs." Emmy said thoughtfully.

I couldn't help but laugh. She looked so adorable, with her finger mindlessly placed on her chin as she listed what she wanted.

"Uh, we'll see what we can do sweetie. Come on, let's go." I unbuckled her, and placed her on the ground beside the car before turning around to unbuckle Star.

Shutting the car door and taking Emmy's hand, I walked into the local supermarket. I got a shopping cart, and put Star in the seat where the kids go. Yeah, I know Emmy should have gone there, but she hates sitting in there, and prefers helping me get the items off the shelves, especially if she can climb up them.

"Okay, so you want tacos right? Well then we need tomatoes and cheese and meat and tortillas and lettuce." I said to Emmy.

"Right. And smoothies. We also need smoothies."

"Honey, you don't buy smoothies as a whole at the super market. You have to buy stuff to make them. Which flavor is it this week?"

"Mango-raspberry-grapefruit." Emmy told me. She has a new concoction each week, based on whatever she thinks of first.

I raised an eyebrow, but merely nodded, pushing the cart down the dairy aisle.

I grabbed some milk, cheese, yogurt, and a whole bunch of other things so that our cart was half full by the time we hit the 6th aisle. Emmy would constantly giggle and point out that I wasn't buying the right brand, or that the kind I had grabbed wasn't the kind Jackie liked. Then she would twirl away and take something random off the shelf and attempt to put into the cart. Except she would be so short, that I would notice and tell her that what she was try to smuggle into our shopping cart was extra spicy Tabasco sauce, and that unless she wanted volcano smoothies, to put it back.

"But Sammy, that sounds good." Emmy giggled. I saw the little gears behind her eyes already thinking of ingredients.

"Sure it does, Ems. Sure it does." I said shaking my head, chuckling, as we turned down aisle 9.

"Look Sammy! Nick is shopping today too! HI NICK!" Emmy squealed. I stopped dead in my tracks.

Nick was, indeed, there, at the other end of the aisle, just feet away. After our encounter this morning, I was still feeling a little awkward. He looked up at the sound of Emmy's adorable little voice, and gave her a little wave. She skipped over to him and I had no choice but to follow, putting on a fake smile.

"Hi Nick, we're shopping. We're having tacos." Emmy told him, and I sighed.

"I don't think he cares, Ems." I told the little girl. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Hey Emmy, Sam. Tacos, huh?" Nick commented, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

"Yes. Jackie is sleeping over tonight. We're gonna watch movie, and make smoothies and puck-corn-"

"Popcorn, Emmy. With a p." I reminded her

"Puck-corn."

"Pop-corn."

"puck-corn."

"Fine."

Nick was starting chuckle a little at this banter and I wanted to whack him. Emmy looked smugly at me as she continued to talk.

"Anyways, and it's gonna be fun, and Jackie will be there and Macey and Trevor and Mike and Jessie. OH! You should come! With um, Jeff, and Monique and Zeph, and Ariel. Yeah. Please?" Emmy asked Nick, hopeful.

Nick looked at me, obviously remembering this morning's conversation. He raised an eyebrow, asking if it was okay. Inside, I was screaming no way in hell. I did not want him to come. I did not want him here. I did not want him in my life, and I did not want him in my dorm, or near my Emmy. I wanted him to leave. I wanted him to get the hell away. I wanted him to disappear.

And I didn't know why. Not entirely anyways. I just did.

I swallowed, smiled, and said "Sure. It's a big sleepover technically, though none of the guys have to stay. So bring stuff if you want. If you don't that's fine. Movies and snacks provided. Be there at 4."

He nodded, and I saw relief pass behind his eyes, and cursed the heavens for letting me be able to read his emotions. And for making me curious as to why he was relieved. Maybe for not hating him? But I did? Didn't I?

Whatever.

"Yay! Thanks Sammy! Come on, let's get more food! We haven't even gotten my mangos and cream cheese yet!" Emmy said, pulling on the hem of shirt. I smiled and shook my head.

Nick looked disgusted. Mangos and cream cheese? Yeah I know. At least she wasn't eating them together.

"Bye Nick, see you at 4!" Emmy said, cutely blowing him a kiss.

"Bye Emmy. Bye Sam." He said. I just nodded at him and followed my overly happy Emmy to the next aisle.

Later, as we were putting the groceries in the car, Emmy paused in handing me a bag, and looked up at me.

"Why don't you like Nick?"

I took the bag from her little hands without answering her. Only she would've noticed my tension. Only she would've noticed that I didn't really want him coming to my dorm. Only my little girl would have realized how uncomfortable I was near him.

"I, well you see, its, well. It's complicated sweetie." I told her, turning to take the last bag and put it in the car.

"Why? He's nice. He likes you. I like him."

"It's a lot more complicated than that Emmy. You're too little to understand." I said, a little bit harsher than I should have. Emmy flinched back a little and reached for Star out of the cart. I handed him to her, bending to her height.

"Look, we had a bit of a disagreement. I don't like him, just like you don't like Madison. There's not much we can do about it, it's just how it works. I'm sorry for snapping at you. Now how about we go back to my dorm, put the groceries away, and get ready for everyone coming over, since there will be five more people. Okay?" She nodded, and gave me a hug. But in the hug was so much.

There was love, first and foremost. Then there was trust. Trust that I would take care of her. And thought. She was considering everything I said; she was thinking about me, she was thinking about everything we could do together as mother and daughter. And then there was understanding. Because so far, in this life, only my little girl had ever understood me. She understood what I had said, even if I barely realized it, even if she barely realized it, she did. And she always would.

She pulled away and smiled at me and I kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair.

"Okay get your butt in the car lets go. After all, we can't get there after everyone else." I said and she giggled.

And yes, I remembered to buckle in Star.

**Me: So again, sorry for the delay *cough***

**Rebbie: Let me talk. Hope you liked this chapter. It's sorta suckish for such a long time, but we really couldn't type a chapter we liked, and finally this one came. Plus we had personal reason and blah. But new year and new starts so let's forget that. oh and I know Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs has been out for a while but it was funny and I liked it so I used it. **

**Me: Review. Please. Maybe this cough will go away *sneeze***

**Rebbie: Dude that's gross. But we would like reviews to know how bad Venom's writing skills have gotten since she last decided to update.**

**Me: Shut up. Just ignore the rude person. (=^-^=) see? The kitty wants you to review.**


	13. MaxSam: Evil Plan's Start Young

**Me: … … … …**

**Rebbie: She actually was planning out how she wanted this to go in what order. Like outlining. Sorry. Don't shoot us. Mentally.**

**Me:… … … **

**Rebbie: Stop doing that.**

**Me:… no.**

**Sam's POV**

_Knock knock._

"Sweetie, get the door. That's the fourth person to knock. We should just leave the door open…" Emmy blinked at me, before setting down her smoothie (which was surprisingly good) and going to open the door. I finished pushing the couch into my bedroom when she came skipping back in.

"Nick and them are here. I think that's everybody. Can we make tacos now? Emmy's hungry." Emmy said, rocking back and forth on her heels in her emerald green sundress, her hair swishing side to side in its pony tail.

I patted Emmy's head. "A little later sweetie."

I took her hand and led her out into the living room where everyone was sitting, rather quietly. Jackie and Macey were leaning against their stuff on the left side of the room, with the guys leaning against the wall. Nick and the others were on the right side, and looking as lost as needles in a haystack. I raised an eyebrow.

"Am I awaiting a death sentence?" I asked with a hint of a you-can't-be-serious tone in my voice. "I _was_ going to coming out and announce cookies and picking out plans for the night. But it appears I have to do some rearranging."

I looked over the people in front of me, analyzing what I knew of their personalities. The only way to get this thing kicking, I thought, was to put the loud ones near the quiet ones to balance it out. I would keep the two loudest away from each other, meaning Monique and Jackie. The same would be for the two quietest, meaning Nick and Jesse. And I obviously couldn't put Jackie and Jesse, or Monique and Nick together, because they both knew each other too well. So on one side of the room would be Jackie and Nick and on the other would be Monique and Jesse.

Well. Okay. That left me with 6 people. Macey, I knew, liked one of the twins. By the way she was staring longingly, I was guessing it was Mike. So in a somewhat nice gesture, I paired her with Ariel so, even though she was little, she could have a little girl talk. Ariel seemed understanding, like Emmy. And Macey talked to anyone who would listen once you got her to open up. Trevor is the more obnoxious one of the twins, so I paired him with Jeff. They seemed to be two of a kind. That left Mike and Zeph, which was pretty good because I knew mike had a secret liking for comics (I found his stash during a prank war in freshmen year) and I knew Zeph had one too.

"Okay so here's how it's going. Monique, Jesse, you have the far right side of the room. Jackie and Nick, You get the far left side of the room. Macey and Ariel, you guys are next to Jackie and Nick. Trev, Jeff, you take the space next to Monique and Jesse. And Mike and Zeph get the middle." With that, I ran to the kitchen, got duct tape, and made the lines on the floor designating the spots.

They looked at me like I was crazy. I stared at them for a few seconds before rolling my eyes and motioning them to move. Realizing I wasn't joking, they shuffled to their designated spots and sat down awkwardly. It was still a little quiet.

"Sam? What group are you part of?" Ariel asked me.

I smiled, bent down and picked up Emmy. "Me and Emmy are a group. And we'll be weaving in and out of each group to make sure you guys are getting along, and actually talking." I glared respectively at Nick and Jesse. Nick playfully glared back, while Jesse gave me that fake I'm-going-to-pretend-I-have-no-idea-why-you're-looking-at-me look.

"Cookies, Sammy. Cookies!" Emmy whispered-shouted.

Everyone, I mean _everyone,_ laughed.

"Chill Ems, I'm working on it." I told the little girl. I turned to the groups, feeling like a kindergarten teacher. "Now, if you all behave accordingly, around 6 we'll start having fun. Ow, Emmy, that's my hair."

"Sorry."

"Anyway. Emmy wants cookies. They'll be your reward." _If I make them right._ "Good luck."

I smiled and turned around and walked into the kitchen laughing maniacally in my head. This was going to be an interesting night.

**Me: So I know it's short. But the next chapter(s) will be the conversations between the groups. I hope to fit it all into one chapter. This sleepover is a semi-relevant part of the plot. Like it will cause something that will lead up to something that will be a big part of something in the plot. (Yeah that was just a useful bunch of info) Anyway bear with me. I WILL type it this weekend. It WILL be up this weekend, I promise. I have all day Friday to type it.**

**Rebbie: So she says. Anyway, she is right about the plot thing. And I think her outlining thing turned out pretty good. And I liked this chapter despite the shortness.**

**Me: really? Wow. Well okay see you this weekend. Reviews are lovely.**


	14. Conversations Part 1

**Hey. This is a random author's note, but I realized while reading back through my fanfictions, that I change point of view a lot. I realize this can be irritating to a lot of people. It was irritating to me, they were my stories! I also understand it can get confusing. So I just wanted to explain why I change it so much. First, I admit it's to make the chapters longer. Second, I have a major photographic memory. I picture everything (how many others do that?), so when I write it down, I have to constantly change the point of view so you can see everything that's going on, like you would in a movie, which is how I'm seeing it in my head. I want you to able to see what I'm seeing as best you can, so I need to change the view from which the story is told in order to do so. I hope you can bear with me when I do this, because I know it gets frustrating. **

**So now that that random speech is over, on with the chapter. (I also kind of wanted to say that because there will be **_**a lot**_** of point of view switching in this chapter, and maybe the next, while we listen in on the conversations.)**

**Jackie's POV**

Sam slipped into the kitchen, leaving me with Nick. I glanced around and noticed everyone looking just about as uncomfortable as I felt. Sighing to myself, I turned to Nick, who was still watching the place Sam had disappeared.

"So. Nick. What brings you to this little town in Virginia? Surely it couldn't have been for a new start at a social life, seeing as I don't think you care about the social scale." I said, trying to make small talk. I think I jolted him out of a day dream, because he blinked, and looked at me. But I wasn't Sam, and I couldn't read people like she could.

"No I don't." He said, completely failing to answer my question.

"Well then why are you here? Why do five people up and move into a tiny town in the middle of nowhere land that has nothing to do and a population of like nothing? And how come I've never met your parents? What do your parents do? Mine work at the post office. Its sooooo boring. A post office? Seriously? Does that even require a degree?" I clamped my mouth shut. He was staring at me.

"You sound just like Monique." Nick said his eyes a little less blank now. "We came here because we needed a change of scenery, my parents are very busy, and they work in some weirdo company."

I let out a little laugh. "Well I admit we have got some nice scenery. Though I've been looking at it way too long. I want to get out, explore the world. I'm sick of staring at the same trees every day. Have you ever noticed that you can look at a tree one day, and no matter how many times you look at it, it NEVER looks different? Maybe I just don't like plants. You know what I do like? I like science. You wouldn't have guessed that, would you? I like chemistry. Like medicinal chemistry. I want to help people."

Nick was staring at me again. But not in the creepy will-you-just-shut-up-already type of way. He was staring at me like he understood.

"That's an interesting thing to want. I knew someone who wanted to do that once." He said, half smiling at me.

"Really? Girl or boy? How old? Why was it a 'once' thing? What do you want, Nick?" I asked. He turned and looked around at the groups that had begun talking amongst themselves, glaring at Monique who smiled innocently back.

"You really want to know?"

**Nudge's POV**

"And then I tried straightening my hair, because it's all frizzy right? Only that didn't work, and so like half my head was frizzy and curly and half my head was straightish. Then I forgot to turn the straightener off and accidently burned part of the bathroom. Nick was not happy with me. You're lucky you have straight hair. Why do you always wear the beanie cap? You should take it off and leave it off for the night. I dare you. OMG I played truth and dare once, like I dragged everyone into playing a game, it was sooo funny! Have you ever played truth or dare? Well of course you have, I just dared you. Go ahead, take the cap off! I can't really wear hats because I get hat hair. It's almost as bad as having bed-head. I can never brush my hair when I wake up. I always brush my teeth though. One time I forgot, and I freaked out all day. Oh, will you smile for me? I want to see if your teeth are shiny! Nick has shiny teeth but he _never_ smiles and it's so frustrating! I want to be a celebrity because they like get paid to have shiny teeth. Celebrities are so cool. I just saw this movie, I forget its name, with this actress in it, I forget her name, but she was sooo pretty! I want to be famous!"

"You talk a lot." Jesse said to me. I smiled and opened my mouth again, when Fang shot me a glare from across the room. I gave him my best 'what?' look.

"Yeah, I get yelled at a lot for it. People tell me I'm going to die from lack of oxygen." I said. Jesse just nodded in agreement, as if that was totally possible. I shrugged.

"People tell me I'm going to die because I'll forget how to open my mouth, and there goes how to eat, how to drink, how to talk etc." He said to me.

"Have people actually said that to you? Because that's weird. And kind of mean. But mostly weird."

"Nope. Just trying to even things out." He said. I burst out laughing. He was so different from what I had expected. Plus he didn't seem to mind the constant blabbering.

"So, any life goals? Favorite colors? Black I'm guessing. Movies? TV shows? Music? I really like Lady Gaga, although her outfits are total fashion no-no's. Seriously. What books do you like to read? OH and I have to ask this question, because like I'm a total romantic. How are you and Sam? Like you guys are soo cute together? Do you really like her? You don't have to answer." I told him, though I knew very well that he knew I was expecting answers.

"well-" He started but I raised my hand to stop him.

"Hat first. Take it off." Reluctantly, he took it off and placed it in my hand, and then began answering my questions.

**Angel's POV**

_I wonder what Mike is thinking right now. Does he like me? This little girl is so cute. Gosh I have a huge test in history on Monday. I like being over here, I can see Mike so well. I wish I could be as good with people as Sam is. Or Jackie. _

I pulled out of her mind. So Macey liked Mike, huh? Interesting…

"So Macey, what do you think of Sam and Jesse?" I asked her. She looked at me, clearly confused by the question. I didn't have to mind read to know that,

"Well they've been going out, for what, almost 3 years now? I think it's rather adorable." She turned back to gazing longingly at one of the twins. Mike, apparently. Hopeless. She was simply hopeless.

"What about you? Anyone caught your eye?" I asked. I already knew the answer, but she didn't know that.

She sighed contently, and ran her hand through her hair.

"Well yeah. I suppose there is." _What could telling an eight year old girl do?_

"See that boy over there? The twin talking to your brother. He's nice to me, and he's really smart. He's also really cute. Like, I know both the twins look the same, but I'm more drawn to him than Trevor. Only he hasn't seemed to notice yet."

I wondered how he couldn't have noticed, what with Macey's longing stares and dreamy sighs. Then I remembered how oblivious Max was to Fang and though Fang never sighed dreamily, or stared longingly (well, maybe once or twice), he was quite obvious. And she never picked up on it. So maybe he was just as oblivious.

I decided to find out.

**Trevor's POV**

"Dude, you've done all that? _And _gotten away with it? That's wicked impressive!" I exclaimed. Jeff was way awesome, and into pyrotechnics, like myself.

"Totally. Most people don't believe me because I'm blind, but it really doesn't make a difference you know? Just put a pile of chemicals in front of someone, and anyone can make an explosion." He said, obviously excited to have another pyro to talk to.

"I know right? The best thing I ever did was set our science lab on fire. I admit it was totally not planned, well okay, partially planned, but damn dude, it was awesome. Like we we're not even using flammable substances, but I had swapped them earlier. It was supposed to make a stink bomb type gas, you know? But someone labeled the bottles wrong and BOOM! POOF! And the sprinklers go off. Detention for a week. But it was so worth it." Jeff started laughing.

"Man I wish I was there. It's not like I could have seen it, but I could still have heard it and stuff. That would have been awesome." Jeff said. I felt proud of my work.

"Yeah. Not as cool as some of the things you've done though. And it's just me. Mike doesn't really get into all this. There is actually a secret pyromaniacs club that meets every so often. Don't tell Sam though, she was pissed. Maybe you could come. You're ideas and stories would be highly welcomed."

"Seriously? That's way cool. Could my buddy Zeph come too? He's sort of my eyes when it comes to building and all that. Plus he knows a lot." Jeff said.

I smiled, though I knew he couldn't see it, I knew he could tell. "Of course. We welcome all ages. Young minds know a lot more than we give them credit for."

"Sweet. Let me know when the next one is. We'll be there."

I could tell Jeff and I would be good friends.

**Gazzy's POV**

"Man, you own the entire Spider Man comic collection? Like all of them? But you're in high school! Nobody reads comics in high school!" I said in disbelief.

"Well, I do. Comics have always entertained me. Especially the classics, you know? People think they're dumb and stuff, but they are really fun." Mike said, laughing at my face.

"I know! Have you ever been to a comic con? I wanted to go so bad once, but I wasn't allowed because we didn't have time. I owned a lot of comics when I was like 7. But we moved and we lost them." I said, fussing up the truth. I did own comic books, back when we lived with Max and everyone at the E house. Jeb had bought them for me. But when we had to rescue Angel, I left them behind.

"That stinks little buddy. But you're welcome to my collection anytime, as long as you don't ruin any of them." Mike said, completely understanding my pain. Over comic books.

I immediately brightened up. "Really? That would be awesome! Thanks!"

"Anytime, little buddy. Anytime."

**Sam's POV**

I could tell from the distinct muttering coming from the other side of the kitchen door that my plan was working. People were talking to each other. To what extent, I wasn't sure. But right now I had to focus on my cookies.

"Emmy, what else do we need to add?"

"Um. We put sugar in right? And flour? And eggs? That's all Emmy's can read. Did Sammy add this bottle of… va…van… vanil…. Van-eel-a?" she asked me, straining her eyes to read the small print on the bottle in her hands. "Emmy can't read what it says."

"Honey, you're almost four. You shouldn't even be able to read that yet. And yes. I think I added all that…"

"Well then… oh wait! The chocolate chips! We forgot the chocolate chips Sammy!"

"Yes, heaven forbid." I muttered.

The kitchen was quite a mess. There was flour everywhere because Emmy had picked up from the wrong end, and so now Star was an all white teddy bear. We both had it in our hair, on our clothes, everywhere. I had sugar beneath my fingernails, and there was a puddle of oil beneath the table. Globs of brown sugar littered the floor, and piles of salt were sprinkled here and there. Rejected cooking pots and pans were strewn about, creating an obstacle course. Emmy had egg smeared across her cheek, after a failed attempt at cracking one. Speaking of eggs, there were about 8 or 9 shells hidden in the kitchen, so that it was like Easter all over again.

"Can Star put them in?" Emmy asked, holding him up. Flour dust fell of him in a puff.

"Emmy, sweetie, remember what happened with the brown sugar? Let me put them in." I told the little girl. She frowned, but complied. I poured 2 bags worth into the batter and mixed.

We decided that we had added everything, and began spooning little amounts of batter onto pre-buttered pans. Emmy wanted to create cool shapes, and when I said no she nearly started to cry, so I let her make an E out of cookie dough.

I put the first batch into the oven, and set the timer.

"What say you, fellow baker Emmy? Shall we check on those good for nothing scoundrels and see if they deserve the cookies we slaved away at making for them?"

She giggled and muttered something that sounded like 'crazy' but I smiled, picked her up, and peeked through the door to check on the groups.

**Me: So? How was the first chapter? The conversations were short, especially Gazzy's and what not. The opposites will be next chapter. By that I mean, if there was an important conversation, and then the opposite person who spoke will continue it in the next chapter. **

**Rebbie: She put work into this. She does that rarely. Be proud of her, and review to let us know if her work paid off.**

**Me: Hey! I put work into a lot of things!**

**Rebbie: key words… a lot.**


	15. Conversations Part 2

**Me: Um….Hi, yeah. It's been a little bit. I don't think it's been too long, but I have a vacation now so I'll try to get at least two updates in before it's over if I can. And one on my other fic as well…**

**Rebbie: As if that's going to happen. **

**Me: Why you…. Ignore her. Keep in mind the frequency of point of view changing in this chapter. It will be the opposite of last chapter, but only the conversations I felt were important, so Iggy/Trevor's conversation and Mike/Gazzy's conversation are cut because well, they have almost no relevance to the plot at this moment in time. Bear with me. Moving on.**

**Rebbie: Shut up and get on with the chapter, you bore them.**

**Me: Nobody asked for your input…. The Chapter! **

**Fang's POV**

"You really want to know?" I asked. This girl was just like Nudge, bombarding me with questions and weird little facts. She managed to stay a bit more serious and on topic than Nudge however, and had now entered my not-so-great conversation zone.

"Duh. I wouldn't have asked if hadn't wanted to know. So tell me Nick, who did you know that wanted to help people, and why don't you know them now? I want details; don't skimp out on me, like Jesse does. I don't mind one word answers, but just know it will take longer for you to end this conversation if you answer as such." Jackie said, pouting and smirking at the same time. She pushed some strands of her blue-black hair out of her faces while she looked expectantly at me.

"It was a girl. Her name was Max." I said, going on the truth. Jackie brown eyes widened, just enough to show the green in them too. She giggled that girl giggle. I never understood why girls did that.

"Ooooo did Nicky-poo have a girlfriend? Max is sort of a strange name for a girl. But she must have been ultra cool if you knew her, right? I wish I could have met her." She rambled, returning from seriousity-ville to Nudge-town.

Wait. Did she just call me Nicky-poo?

"Um, yeah, she was ultra-cool. No she wasn't my girlfriend. I wanted her to be but she wasn't. Anyways, she had this whole thing going for saving the world." I said, trying hard to ignore the aching I was feeling from talking about Max. And I hoped to God Jackie didn't call me _that_ again.

"Aww that's sweet and sad. Poor you. So was like Max an environmentalist? Eco-friendly, ya know? Recycle and save the planet, and that type of stuff? Or was it like donate time and money to shelters to help the poor and the sick, and save those who need saving more than we do?" Jackie asked.

"It was kind of a combination. She helped anyone she deemed needed it, and she had very low standards for who she deemed needed help. So basically, anyone got her help. And she didn't let anyone harm the environment, it was important to her too. But it was more than that. She wanted to change the world, make a difference." I said, summing it up without saying "Max saved mutant freaks like me for a living."

"That's really cool. She sounds like an amazing person." She said, toning her enthusiasm down a tad, thank the heavens.

"She was. She was the best. She was sweet-natured, but could easily beat the crap out of anyone who pissed her off. Hell, she was stubborn though. Her way or the highway. But that was fine, we could live with that. Her way was normally the right way." I said, clinging to my old memories of Max.

Max, flying next to me, her wings brushing mine on every down stroke. Max, tucking Angel in at night back at the E house. Max, fighting like crazy to protect the Flock from danger. Max, kissing me that first time on the beach after my fight with Ari. God I missed her.

"Sounds like Sam. But being serious now. You keep using past-tense. Tell me, Nick. What happened? Why isn't she here with you? You seem to really care for this girl, and we haven't been talking for very long. So tell me why you aren't with her."

"She left one day. We had a fight, and she left. Gone, just like that. Two years later I found her, a few months ago actually. I know where to find her right now, but that time when I went to get her back, her life was so much better than it was with me, that I don't know if I could ruin that for my needs. For her friends needs. I'd rather see her happy without me, than be with her and have her only be okay." I said, staring down at the floor. I had never admitted that out loud. In fact, I hadn't even admitted that to myself.

Saying that out loud, just now, I realized I might not be able to change Max's feelings about coming back to Angel and Gazzy and Iggy and Nudge and Me. I realized, I might not want to take her away from this life that she deserves, a life where she has friends and a home and a chance a normal future. I don't know if I could take that all away from her. And why? Because I feel depressed and want her back? I had my chance didn't I? I had my chance and I screwed up! It shouldn't matter how I feel because this is Max and Max is happy. And as long as Max is happy, I should be too. We all should be.

"Nonsense!"

I looked up, bewildered at the short word that Jackie had uttered with such anger and determination and force.

"You are the most **idiotic**, simpleminded, _brainless_, _senseless_, **half-witted**, mindless, _illogical_, irrational, foolish, and **moronic twit** I have ever met!!!! People like you shouldn't even _exist _on the planet! Who cares if Max is happy right now? If you were that close, then she couldn't be that happy without you! Don't just going marching you tongue off saying you're going to give up after one fight! So she left, so she's was gone, so it was two years, what of it? You found her, that's all that matters! If she cares for you as much as you cared and assumingly still care for her, then she isn't as happy as she seems to be! She needs you every bit as you need her! Girls love to know their needed, but hate it when a guy backs off to let them have their space! They want to be chased, they want to be loved, and they need to know that if they walk away, you will follow, even after a bad fight! And if my girl intuition serves me correct, through all that saving the world crap and whatnot, you were always by her side, were you not? Who's going to encourage her now? Who's going to tell her she can do it when she thinks she can't? You are! So don't you sit your sorry butt down just yet, get up and get moving, you've got a girl to get back!"

I stared up at Jackie in complete and utter shock. She had stood up and was towering over me, finger pointed. She was breathing heavily, and was staring at me with a wild look in her eyes, her hair was fanned around her head and god she looked terrifying. I glanced around, once in my life hoping someone would rescue me from a girl. Some of the people in the room were looking over at us, my terrified and confused look, and her wild and determined and pissed face. It must have been a change of atmosphere.

"Um..."

"Don't you um me! Promise me that by the end of this school year you will have gotten Max back." She said, regaining her composure and sitting down as if absolutely nothing had just happened. I inched back a few inches. She was scarier than any of the things I've had to fight. Gosh, if she was a mutant I do not envy the one who has to fight her.

"It's not as easy as it sounds…" I said, frowning.

"That makes it more fun. Just try." She smiled at me, and I felt myself smiling back. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. And if it didn't work, Max would have her life here, a happy life.

"I promise to try."

**Jesse's POV**

Oh lord could this one talk. More so than Jackie, and that's saying something.

Reluctantly, I had given her my hat for the night, which, after swearing I didn't have lice, and despite the fact she had previously mentioned how hats gave her hat-hair, she put it on. She. Was. Wearing. My. Beanie. Cap.

Help.

"Now answer my questions. You've heard about me, sort of, well my hair, and Lady Gaga, and what not. Now I want to hear about you, so start talking. I love your hair by the way; it's so pretty when it's not under the cap. It's really black, like darker than Nick's and it's like perfectly straight. And the way it fails just barely over your eyes makes you look totally hot! Don't get any ideas; I'm not into your type. Anyway answer the q's." Monique rambled. I felt a migraine coming on.

"What was the first one? Life goals. Um, I want to be a writer. Publish books, all that fun stuff." I said truthfully.

"I love writing. I'm not very good at it. Nick has a blog, and Max once wrote a poem about how Antarctica was too white. Oh you don't know Max. Oh well, she's cool. I can't write since I didn't get much schooling when I was little. I'm good at math though. A writing career would be fun."

"And yes black is my favorite color although I like silver too. And red and blue. But black and silver are my favorites." I said when she stopped to take a breath. I don't know how she did it. I was starting to agree that she might die from lack of oxygen…

"My favorite movie is 9, the animation. I also like How to Train Your Dragon. I took Emmy to see it with Corey last weekend. TV shows, I like House and Sam makes me watch 10 Things I Hate About You. Myth busters is cool too. I like rock and alternative music and sometimes a little country. And me and Sam are good. It's been almost 3 years since I asked her out. Sometimes she gets a little moody and distant and sometimes I'm a little too relaxed and quiet for her, but we balance each other out. Anything else?" I asked, remembering all the questions she asked. It was one of the longest speeches I've ever said, perhaps second to the one I said to ask Sam out.

Monique whistled. "Wow. You're good. Nope I think that's it for now… but I know where to go if I come up with anymore! Oh jeez now I feel like a stalker. Omg there was this episode of CSI on a few nights ago where this girl was stalked by someone then she died. Well that's not happy. I won't kill you don't worry. Omg this girl, the one named Max, saved a rabbit from foxes once, it was sooo cute. Have you ever saved an animal? Ah sorry another question."

"Monique." I said, thinking of something.

"Yeah?"

"I dare you to speak sentences under 5 words long for the rest of the night, unless given permission by myself. And no more than 3 sentences at a time."

"You're joking right? I can't do that!" she asked incredulously.

"You dared me."

"Touché. Fine. Challenge accepted, starting now." I smiled to myself. Finally some quiet.

**Macey's POV**

"He likes you too." I looked down at the little girl in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"That Mike kid. He likes you too. He keeps looking over here. And he thinks you're good at sports, and he thinks you're smart and really pretty. You should ask him out."

"How do you know all that?" I asked, even more confused than I was a few seconds ago. She's eight, this adorable little blonde haired-blued eyed… _angel_ is eight years old and she's telling me how to go about with my love life.

"I have my ways. Just trust me on this. He really likes you too. Maybe you two will be the next Jesse and Sam? Ask him out. Take him for coffee and to the bookstore, I think you'd both like that, even you won't admit it." she said, smiling up at me, well, angelically.

"I'm not sure; I mean… could it really work out like that? What if we broke up? I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship." I said, wrapping my arms around my knees and resting my chin on them.

Ariel patted my arm reassuringly. I'm not sure why, but this little girl gave me confidence in myself. Having her next to me made me feel like I was able to do things I wasn't normally able to do. I lifted my head up and looked down at her. She grinned as if she knew what I was thinking.

"You're right; I should give it a try. I'll ask him out. It's like trying out for a team right? You can decide to try out, and maybe you'll make the team and do really well, or maybe you won't do well but you still gave it your best. Maybe you won't make it at all, but the thought was out there and you can put aside your worries and move on from what ifs. Or you can decide to not try out and go to the games and watch from the sidelines. But when the team wins, you feel left out because you could be sharing in that glory. I've decided, I'm going to try out for the team. Thanks Ariel. I don't know exactly what you did, but it worked." I said, reaching over and giving the little child a hug.

"Celeste and I hope it works out. You'll pass tryouts. The rest is up to you." Her sweet little voice told me. I smiled with my newly found confidence.

**Sam's POV**

What I saw when I peeked through the kitchen door surprised me.

Jackie was yelling at Nick about something and he looked terrified, and I would know. Jackie is downright _scary_ when ticked. She calmed down and they looked as if they agreed upon something. Well I wonder what that was about…?

Macey and Ariel seemed to have made progress and Macey was just glimmering with confidence. I was proud of her. Ariel looked please and smug and prepared to help anyone else with their love lives. I'm glad I put those two together. Maybe Ariel should go into the field of counseling, like for marriages and couples. She'd definitely be good at it.

Trevor and Jeff seemed to have hit it off nicely, as did Zeph and Mike. Jesse looked about ready to punch something and Monique looked quite frustrated but all the same she looked happy and bubbly. I bet Monique had talked Jesse's ears off and he dared her to be quiet or something. Seems like something he'd do.

I stepped back through the door, satisfied that everything was going according to plan, and that my guests were doing okay. This was good because I did not want to have to clean the bloodstains out of my carpet if it was still quiet out there.

"Are the cookies almost done Sammy?" Emmy asked me, pulling on the hem of my blue t-shirt that read Time Flies and had a picture of a clock with wings.

"I'm not sure Emmy, let's check." I turned the light on for the oven and peered inside. The cookies looked normal to me. In fact, they seemed about ready to come out.

"Mhm seems the first batch is done. Start putting the next cookies on the second tray, while I take these ones out, okay Ems?" I asked. The little girl nodded enthusiastically, already piling cookie dough onto the tray.

I pulled the first batch from the oven and set it down. Picking up a spatula, I tried peeling the first cookie off, but it wouldn't come. I pushed a little harder, but it still wouldn't budge. Finally, I pushed down really hard onto the spatula and the cookie _flew!_ I mean flew. Like across the kitchen and into the wall, shattering into a bazillion little cookie pieces. Emmy stared, then walked over, picked a piece up, examined it, and dropped it back down making a yuck face.

"Emmy, heh, I don't think these cookies are edible." I said laughing slightly. She looked at me, then the shattered cookie, then to spatula in my hand, then back to the shattered cookie. She raised an eyebrow, and for one moment she looked exactly like me.

"Okay, but when they blame someone, I telling them it was you." And she sounded exactly like me.

"Gee thanks Emmy. Well let's try again with this batch. We won't burn them and hopefully... hopefully they come out edible."

She gave me a look that said yeah right, but we put the next batch in and waited for it to be finished. We didn't have to wait for long.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rebbie: I am a page break--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Do you smell that Sammy?" I did, actually. The scent of smoke. Cookie filled smoke. I glanced over at the oven.

"Emmy, tell me. Is the oven really on fire, or am I hallucinating?" she looked up from the game of Go Fish we had been playing.

"It's on fire Sammy. Like for real." She asked me if I had any twos. I didn't.

"Oh." I went back to the card game.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" I jumped up, knocking over the table in the process, earning a screeching Emmy and a loud bang. Pots and pans went flying everywhere, as did the mess of ingredients we had yet to put away including eggs, and sugar, and you guessed it, the remnants of the flour.

I hurriedly glanced around. The oven was literally bursting with flames and shooting sparks at me. What on earth did I do to deserve this? I was making cookies! COOKIES! Do cookies cause fires? They most certainly do NOT!

I can't say that now, can I…?

I grabbed the nearest pot and filled it with water, with which I dumped on the oven, but that made it worse.

"Emmy, isn't water supposed to make fire go away?"

"How should Emmy know? Emmy's almost 4!"

I looked around again. This time I spotted my fire extinguisher. You know the little ones that almost every kitchen has. Anyways I picked it up and aimed it at the oven. Then I looked down at the thing in my hands.

"Emmy, how do you work this thing?"

"Haven't we covered this? Emmy's only four, she barely reads! Sammy has to figure it out!"

"Gah but its so weird looking! Do I like pull it? Nope… um push it? Nope! AHHH this feel like Bop It! I hated that game!"

"Do something Sammy!"

I squeezed the little handle thing. To my relief, that white whatever it is that's in those things, came squirting out and I was able to put out the fire. And in the process I made a huge mess out of my kitchen and ruined my oven. I couldn't get the thing to stop squirting though, and my hands were so slippery that I accidentally dropped the extinguisher, and now Emmy matches her bear. In the fact that they are both all white. And so am I for that matter.

"Sammy!"

"Sorry!"

Just at that moment, everyone chose to walk through the door to the kitchen to see what the commotion was. As you can imagine, they saw a knocked over table with a white Emmy standing on the chair next to it, holding a flour covered Star, in the middle of a cookie ingredient filled room that was attacked by a fire extinguisher, with an oven looking like burnt toast with whipped cream, the mark of the shattered cookie on the wall, the smoke billowing at the top of the room, and the discarded tray of cookies sitting on countertop. And of course, there was me, standing in the middle of it all, holding one end of the fire extinguisher, covered from head to foot in flour and cookie batter, and now in the stuff that was spewed from the fire thingy.

"It was her! Emmy knows you need someone to blame and Emmy told Sammy she was going to blame Sammy, so it was her!"

I dropped the fire extinguisher, kicked it behind me and smiled innocently.

"So…. who wants pizza and cinnamon sticks?"

**Me: So was the second part of the conversations okay? I tried to make that last scene a good one so in your review let me know how I did. The next chapter will be about the final part of the sleep over, and I think there will be one song in it. It might be kinda random seeing as this was the part of the sleep over I really needed to get out.**

**Rebbie: Jeezums that was a long chapter. I'm impressed. Anyways review for her please. It would make her uber happy!**

**Me: right…. I hope you liked it!**


	16. Goodnight My Angel, My Little Girl

**Me: okay so I lied. But I have a legitimate reason. I completely forgot about a huge test I had to study for before the term ended. And then I had rehearsal every night from 5-8, and I didn't even get picked up from school until around 3. Then it was show week and I had like 4 tests, but my show is over and so now I have nothing to do after school, except my semi on Friday. So I'll update more often I promise, considering its becoming less and less busy for me.**

**Rebbie: she is sorry. She was trying to find the right song for this chapter every chance she could, and was planning when to write it when she had a minute to breathe. I will stand up for her this time. She lied again. There's gonna be another random song in this chapter.**

**Me: anyways. Don't kill me, and enjoy what is probably the last chapter of the sleep over portion of the story.**

**Sam's POV**

The pizza was here, the kitchen was clean, I was clean, Emmy was clean, and all was good. After everyone had walked into the kitchen and laughed at the mess I had made, Jesse offered to pay for the pizza. I ran up and gave him a hug before he could protest, covering him in mess too, so that it turned to an all out war between everybody. Then we all made our way to the shower and turned on the faucet and just used the spray hose to hose each other down fully clothed.

Currently we were sitting in our pajamas watching The Lion King (it was unanimous). Emmy was sitting in my lap in a light blue night gown and cuddling Star. I was curled next to Jesse on the floor beside the love seat on which Ariel and Zeph were curled. Nick was chilling on the recliner to my left, with Jackie next to him and Macey next to her. The twins were sitting on mattresses we had pulled from their dorms in the front. Jeff was lying down with one hand under his head behind the twins, with his eyes closed, but clearly still awake and listening to the movie. Monique was curled in a comforter against the wall, completely engrossed in the movie.

Suddenly I realized what part we were at when the music started playing, and I nudged Emmy. It was our favorite song to sing together during this movie. Emmy giggled because she had realized it to, but she stayed put and got ready to sing a little gift for everybody.

_Emmy singing _**Sam singing**

_I'm gonna be a mighty king  
So enemies beware_

**Well I've never seen a king or beast  
with quite so little hair**

_I'm gonna be the mane event  
__Like no king was before  
__I'm brushing up on looking down  
__I'm working on my ROAR _

I tickled Emmy as she let out the cutest little _roar _ever, and by this point we were up and dancing around.

**Thus far a rather, uninspiring event (**she pouted, then smiled and twirled)

_Oh I just can't wait to be King!_

_No one saying do this! (__**Now when I said that…)  
**__No one saying be there! (_**What I meant was…)  
**_No one saying stop that! (_**What you don't realize…)  
**_No one saying see here! (_**Now see here!) **

Throughout that she was running around the room and I was pointing at her and telling her strictly what to do and she was making funny faces at me while singing.

_Free to run around all day!  
__We'll do it all my way!_

I grabbed her by the waist and hugged her.

**I think it's time that you and I arranged a heart to heart  
**_Kings don't need advice from little hornbills for a start _(she pushed away)  
**If this is where the monarchy is headed count me out!  
****Out of service, out of Africa, I wouldn't hang about!  
****This child is getting wildly out of wing!**

_Oh I just can't wait to be King!_

_Everybody look left _(everyone looked left as Emmy ran and stood on the left side of the room)  
_Everybody look right _(everyone looked right as she ran to the right side of the room.)  
_Everywhere you look I'm, standing in the spot light! _(She ran to the middle of the room, and I knocked her out of the way, gently)  
**Not yet!**

Jackie and Jesse joined in singing this next part.

Let every creature go for broke and sing  
Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing  
It's gonna be King Simba's finest fling

_Oh I just can't wait to be king!  
__Oh I just can't wait to be king!  
__Oh I just can't wait……  
__TO BE KING!_

Everybody clapped and cheered as Emmy and I broke down in fits of hysterical laughter, bowing and bowing and laughing and laughing and bowing some more.

"You guys like that song, I'm guessing." Jeff said, laughing. We just laughed our response.

"Emmy's gonna be king!" Emmy shouted. I smiled, but shook my head and flattened her hair a little bit.

"Honey, not only are you four and can you barely read, but there is no way on heaven or earth, that would I let you be the king of something." I said to her.

"Wow Sam, way to ruin a child's dream of taking over the world." Mike told me. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Don't worry Emmy; Auntie Jackie will let you be the king. We'll just tie up the old party pooper over there and she won't have any say." She picked up Emmy and walked back over to her seat.

"Every party needs a pooper that's why we invited you! Party poopeerrrrr, party poopeerrrrr!" Mike and Trevor simultaneously started singing.

"Is it gang up on Sam day, and I just didn't get the memo? Besides, I invited you." I asked.

"I quite agree actually. Emmy shouldn't be king. Kings in the middle ages had to wear ugly wigs and that creepy stuff. They were jerks and whatnot. Plus they had horrible unoriginal names, like Louis the 14, and bad fashion sense. Emmy should be queen. She could be Queen Emelia Makenna the First. That sounds really cool. I want a really cool queen name! You can tell everyone what to do and whatnot. And like, get driven around in a white horse-drawn carriage. Oh like Cinderella! Can we watch that movie next?! It's so cute! I love fairy tales. Have you ever heard of mmph mhmmphhfft?" Monique rambled on, but was cut off by Nick placing his hand over her mouth and giving her a stern glare.

"Oh jeesh, whatever. She's my charge and I say no king! Let's finish watching my movie! And no Cinderella…. That movie makes me ill…." I muttered.

Basically that's how the rest of our night continued. We watched another Emmy-friendly movie, The Lady and the Tramp, and played a few random board games. Jeff even claimed to be an amazing cook and offered to use whatever ingredients were left to make some late night snacks for everyone, which I said was fine. There was a chorus of "Don't let Sam in the kitchen!" to which I promptly ignored.

Around 10 I gave Emmy her dose of her medicine, and respectively took my own dose. I noticed Nick watching me out of the corner of my eye. He eyed was I was taking as if he wanted to know what was wrong, or perhaps as if he disapproved. I made mental note to keep an eye on him, before going back to everyone else to continue our round of Jenga, which Jeff was totally killing everyone at. Everyone was very perplexed at losing to a blind kid.

Eventually, however, Emmy started to doze off. I picked her up to bring her in her room. Everyone followed behind me, as if it was some big show to put a 3 and half year old to bed. Oh well.

"Sammy, sing Emmy a lullaby." Emmy muttered sleepily. I sighed, but reluctantly complied. Tucking her into her black and baby blue bed, I pushed a piece of her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.

"Which one tonight, Emmy?" I asked quietly. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and turned over.

"The one you always sing." She said. She was already almost completely asleep, so I saw no reason to sing to her, but it calmed her down, and my voice seemed to chase away nightmares most of the time.

"Alright Emmy, if you wish." I walked over to the little piano I kept in Emmy's room. She was learning how to play, but it also helped in singing this lullaby.

I was aware of everyone piling into the room quietly to hear my song as took my seat at the piano and hovered my fingers over the keys and took a breath. The I looked down at the keys and started to sing.

**(Song: Goodnight My Angel by Billy Joel. It's a little louder than I imagined Max playing it for little Emmy, plus there's a violin playing in the background. But I thought this was best for a lullaby.)**

_This time, this is Sam singing, because bold is to, I don't know, intense, for a lullaby._

_Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes  
__And save these questions for another day  
__I think I know what you've been asking me  
__I think you know what I've been trying to say  
__I promised I would never leave you_

_And you should always know  
__Where ever you may go  
__No matter where you are  
__I will never be far away_

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep  
__And still so many things I want to say  
__Remember all the songs you sang for me  
__When we were sailing on an emerald bay_

_And like a boat out on the ocean  
__I'm rocking you to sleep  
__The water's dark and deep  
__Inside this ancient heart  
__You'll always be a part of me_

_Music Bridge  
__Lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu  
__Lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu_

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream  
__And dream how wonderful your life will be  
__Someday your child may cry  
__And if you sing this lullaby  
__Then in your heart  
__There will always be a part of me_

_Someday we'll all be gone  
__But lullabies go on and on…  
__They never die  
__That's how you  
__And I  
__Will be_

I played the last few chords on the piano and looked up to see Emmy smiling, sound asleep with one arm wrapped firmly around Star.

Everybody else was looking at me in awe, and Ariel, Monique, Jackie, Macey, and even Zeph had tears in their eyes. The other boys looked really impressed, but saddened in the way that only music can make you feel.

That was a song I'd been singing for Emmy since she first arrived. It was her lullaby, her song from me. It meant the world to me, and to her, and whenever she needed moral support, or whenever she cried or had a nightmare, or kids at her preschool were mean and made fun of her for having no parents, I would sing this song to her. It was meant to be a lullaby, but most of the time I sang it to her to calm her down.

I had written it myself, the first night she woke up screaming and crying, and I didn't know what to do. I just started singing, and the words came out in a smooth rhythm and stayed with me. Later, I added in piano and the possibilities for a violin. But never have I sung it in front of anyone but my grandma and Jesse and Emmy before.

I smiled shyly at them before getting up and switching on Emmy's Scooby-doo night light and motioning for everyone to follow me out of Emmy's room.

I paused at the door to watch my little angel sleeping contently in her bed. This was the life she was given, the life laid before her, the life I was in charge of taking care of.

And I was going to make sure nothing happened to my little girl. Come hell and high waters, my little girl would always remain safe in my arms, and any bastards who tried to take her away would know what it would feel like to face the wrath of lioness losing her cub.

As I turned to shut her door and head back to my guests, I had no clue that someone was planning to do just that. I had no clue that I would have to fight for Emmy's life sooner than I thought. I had no clue about anything, and perhaps if I listened sooner, I could've prevented the outcome that befell me and my friends, and most importantly, my little girl.

But of course, right now, I had no clue about any of that.

**Me: so I hope you liked that song. The first one was just cuz I thought there should be a funny randomness factor to keep this chapter from being seriosityville. The second one I found and right away thought it was perfect. I thought maybe it would be sung to a lover but the more I heard it the more it sounded like an actual lullaby and I wanted to put it in, so I did.**

**Rebbie: creepy, foreshadowing end if you ask me.**

**Me: well it's a good thing nobody did. Reviews are great. I love reviews. Good, bad, and the cheesy, it all works. Review!**


	17. I Want To Know

**Me: So I don't think this was as long a wait as last time. I do have finals, which is why there was a wait, cuz my teachers were like "oh crap I have very little time left, bam quiz, bam test, bam end of the year project! Bam hears your really long list of what you need to know!" And it's been hell.**

**Rebbie: Yep. So here's the next chapter.**

**Me: She really doesn't care about me at all…**

**Fang's POV**

There were a few things on my mind. One, this was the first sleepover I had ever been too. Ever. Kids of all ages had these all the time and I never got to have any because of my childhood. None of us had. And Max of all people had given it to us. Two, her song for little Emmy was absolutely beautiful. I never knew she could sing with such meaning. Or play the piano so well, for that matter. But Emmy fell asleep so quickly and she looked so calm and happy with Max's voice singing to her. Even the Flock never fell asleep that quickly and easily to her singing, on the rare occasions when she would. And finally third, I had seen where she hid her medicine. Emmy took it too. That made me curious, but I didn't think about it. So I decided that the first thing I was going to do was get rid of those pills. She may be reluctant to remember me, which is the key component, but maybe taking the suppressant away will help the memories come easier.

After everyone had woken up and had breakfast, courtesy of Iggy, and left, I told the Flock to go home without me. I stepped back and stood as still as I could against the wall, and before I knew it, I could feel myself blending in. I had been getting better and better at this as of the last few years.

Max rushed back and forth across her dorm, getting frustrated when Emmy would start complaining or when she couldn't find something. I had no clue where she was going; I was too focused on not moving a muscle, not twitching.

After 2 hours, approximately, Max finally left the dorm with Emmy, off to who knows where, and I was finally able to move. Just to be safe, I waited an extra 15 minutes, and when nobody came in, I took a step forward and relaxed my shoulders.

I knew I had a few hours, so I decided to look around. (Stalkerish, I know. But I also know Max, not Sam.) I walked into her room and immediately saw dozens upon dozens of poorly drawn stick figures, houses, trees, and birds. Emmy's handiworks were dutifully hung up on every wall. Along with those, there was a few pictures of her and Jessie, her and Jackie, a picture of an elderly woman standing next to an 8 year old Max (I assumed this to be her grandmother), and in the middle of the wall opposite of the bed was a picture of Emmy and Max, assumingly taken a few months ago.

Her room aside from that was pretty bare. The basics were there: a bed with green and blue covers, a white dresser, a mirror above the dresser, a window with a light green curtain, and a white side table. ON the white side table there was a pen and a really small key.

I sat down on the bed and reached under the pillow and pulled out Max's journal. Back at the E house, she always kept it under her pillow, with the pen and the key next to her bed. I guess some things never change.

I flipped open the first page, knowing I shouldn't be reading it, but also knowing that a key to helping me could be in here somewhere, or even a sign that she had started remembering.

But no, all the entries were about Jessie, or Emmy, or a huge test she didn't feel like taking. A few weeks ago the entries stopped completely. Maybe she didn't have time? She didn't seem that busy to me.

Sighing I closed the journal and locked it, and returned it to its place underneath her pillow. I decided to do what I had waited here for to do and then leave and join the kids in doing my homework. So creeping out of Max's room, I walked down the hallway and into the kitchen where I saw her hide the pills.

I had to rummage around in the cabinets for a little while before I actually found them. But there they were, in a plain white bottle. They didn't even have a label or anything. Curious, I opened the bottle and poured a few pills into my hand. They were a creepy blood red color, and it was like a capsule with powder inside. I put them back inside the bottle with disgust and slid the bottle into my pocket then looked for any remaining back up bottles just in case. Man, I felt like a drug dealer.

She had 3 bottles lying around, including the one I already found. I was a little shocked, not to mention curious as to what the white coats had programmed her to believe she had. But this was the time to be thinking about that. So I took the bottles and left, but not until I checked the entire house to make sure I left it the way it was before Max left.

**Sam's POV**

Today had been a long day. Emmy had dance lessons at noon, and we were almost late because we couldn't find her ballet shoes. Then I had to call the head office to talk to them about my kitchen, and they didn't understand which was irritating because I didn't know how to explain a kitchen exploding aside from… "Hello, my oven exploded last night." And then I remembered that Emmy's birthday was in a month and so I had to call the doctors and schedule a physical, and the dentist for a cleaning. Then I had to pick Emmy up, but when I got there, it turns out Emmy had picked a fight with Madison and given her a bruise. So I had to sit with Bianca and her parents while I got scolded by the ballet teacher. Emmy still claims Madison started it.

After that, Emmy wanted to go for ice cream, and started crying when I told her no because of the fight, so instead I took her to the park to let her, and me, work off steam. Boy oh boy, can that girl run. It took 15 minutes for me to chase her down to get her to come back to the car.

But finally, finally I walked through my dorm's door and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. I thanked the office for giving me a study on C days first thing in the morning, so I didn't have to do any of my homework tonight. Not that I had too much, since school was getting out in about a month and a half, and I finished most of my big assignments already.

I flipped on the TV and cruised through the channels until I found House. I knew some sarcastic humor of a guy, who even though he's way older, is pretty decent looking (which stars aren't though?), plus has amazingly blue eyes, would definitely cheer me up. Also, I loved how he bosses he team around, and they always try to prove him wrong but he's always right. We need more people like him, including the twisted, I-really-care-even-though-I-pretend-I-don't personality.

Around 10 pm I decided that I should probably hit the hay and turned off the TV. I got in my pajamas, brushed my teeth, all that fun stuff, and then opened my cabinet to take my pills only… they weren't there. I kept bottles throughout the kitchen in case I ran out, but none of the bottles were there.

_No biggie, I bet I left them out last night and someone accidentally took them home._

I left my dorm and knocked on Jackie's door. Groggily she opened it and stared at me.

"Did I wake you?" I asked.

"Nah. I'm studying for our history test tomorrow. Did you know that history is so boring? Like really, who cares about what happened in some year, with some war. Like just because two countries got all pissy and decided to go at it like guys do, instead of having a heart to heart like girls do, doesn't mean I have to know. It's completely-" I put my hand over her mouth, nodding to get her shut up.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, did you perhaps pack my medicine when you left this morning? I can't find it and I think I might've left it out last night and someone took it by accident."

"Nope, sorry. I unpacked everything as soon as I got back to my room. It's not like I even had much, cuz we're like right next to each other, and I can just come here for whatever I need. But it sooo much easier to bring everything. No I don't."

"Oh, well thanks. I'll ask the others, and worst case scenario, go to Jesse's to get my back up dose." I hugged her goodnight and had similar conversations with Macey, Trevor, and Mike. Before going to Jesse's I called Nick to ask him. He asked everyone his group, and despite all of them sounding rather awake, and a rather long pause, he said he didn't have it either.

So, I walked down a floor to Jesse's dorm and knocked. When he opened the door I just walked in and to where I kept my spare dose of medicine.

Jesse leaned against his wall and stared at me.

"I can't find mine."

His eyebrows rose and I shrugged. It was the truth.

"How'd you know I'd be awake for you to get them?" He asked. I shrugged again and smiled.

"Because you're always awake whenever I need you. I don't understand it, but you are."

"I try." I laughed and walked over to give him a hug.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly. It was moments like this, which reminded me why I stuck through everything. My mom and my grandma dying, my father never being around, all the court problems with Emmy, my medical history; even small things like late night cram sessions, fights with annoying kids, and when my gymnastics team or my track team didn't win its meet.

He was always there for me, always standing by my side, ready to listen when I needed him.

"I'm awake because I always need you." He murmured before kissing my cheek. I smiled shyly and pulled back to yawn.

"Well, I gotta get to bed. You go on needing me, but do so asleep."

"Aye aye, captain." I laughed and turned to walk out the door, Jesse following me.

"Goodnight Sam." He said softly, smiling one of his rare smiles at me.

"Goodnight Jesse." I said.

As I headed down the hallway and up the stairs, I whisper-shouted "Dream of me!" I heard a low laugh as I rounded the first bend in the stairs, and then the soft click of a door closing.

When I got back to my room, I sat down on my bed, smiling like a lovesick fool. I loved Jesse, I just loved him. He was my best friend, my soul mate. He would never ever do something to hurt me, or something that would make me hate him. He would always be there every single time I called, and if I said I needed time to myself, he would give it to me, no questions asked. He understood my actions, my motives, and my emotions. He was everything I wanted, everything I needed, everything that was good for me.

Why, then, did his name start to fade from my head as I continued to think of the good he did me? Why was it, the more and more I thought about how much I loved him, the more and more guilty I felt? How come every single good quality Jesse has resembles some lost memory that I can't quite remember? And why, why is it, that during every cutesy, cuddly, serious moment between Jesse and me, I started thinking of one name, one name that hasn't left my head since I woke up in the hospital after my accident? One name that I don't know anything about! One name that is probably the strangest name I've ever heard!

_Fang. _

_Whoever you are, whatever you're doing, wherever you come from, I want to know. I want to know because I want this to stop. I want to stop thinking about you 24/7, because I don't know who you are, and I can't think about what I don't know. I want you to stop interrupting my time with Jesse. I want you to stop interrupting my life. But… I do want to know you. I do want to know who you are. I want to know. You have captured my interested, and you are so familiar, so strangely familiar, that I need to know who you are. Wherever you are, help me understand these things. Help me understand you._

**Me: Okay so it's a little short, but I thought that was good place to leave off. **

**Rebbie: I really have nothing to say tonight. I'm tired. **

**Me: thanks heavens… Rate and Review!**


	18. Sketching The Perfect Dream

**Me: Wow. Thanks for all the great reviews guys! And I would like to dedicate this chapter to the anonymous reviewer Kay K, for the review that left me smiling for days after I read it. I would also like to apologize for the wait. But I went to camp before I could post another chapter, and then it was my birthday week and we just so happened to have a heat wave, so my mom was doing anything to keep me out of the house, and in cold, air-conditioned places. Plus I'm moving for like the umpteenth time so we've been busy packing (or pretending to in my case). **_**And**_** my grandma came for a surprise visit since my great-grandmother and great-grandfather are dying (ironically at the same pace), and to help take care of my 8 year old cousin (off of which Emmy's personality is based (who is practically my sister)) since her father is having wife problems and her mother (who isn't the wife) is unreliable (still a good mother though) and it's been hectic. Right. So if anyone bothered to read this, sorry for a quick glimpse into the weirdness and chaos of my life.**

**Rebbie: Right. Anyway, Venom here wrote another story while she was procrastinating (Me: I was not procrastinating!) this chapter. It's a three-shot. So check it out, it's actually good, in my opinion. Venom's proud of it, at least. It's sort of sad. It's called The Final Battle A Last Goodbye. **

**Me: And here we go. The main plot for this story is going to start moving quickly along now, instead of just building up to what's going on. Now we start getting into everything.**

**Sam's POV**

It had been 5 days since my medicine had gone missing. For the first two nights I had been going to Jesse's dorm to take it, in case someone took mine on purpose (why someone would do that, I have no idea). But then Jackie brought up at lunch that "it's a good thing Jesse has a back-up dose etc", and someone must have overheard, because Jesse's backup dose disappeared. I checked with his parents, and Emmy still had her dose.

I had been medicine-less for three and half days now. It was a very dangerous thing for me to be doing, but I had no way of getting more. My grandma had set up some plan with some company, in which new bottles would be shipped to me every three months. Apparently, it was a pill only manufactured by a certain company. Those bottles were supposed to last me until my next shipment.

Fail.

So here I was, stretching, preparing to run a race for a track meet. I shouldn't have been doing this. I should've been trying to figure out where my medicine had gone. But I couldn't turn my back on my team. This was our big race, and we were up against one of the fastest schools in the area.

Everyone had come to cheer me on, and they waved at me and started calling out to me as I walked up to the starting line to begin the race. I smiled and waved back. My head started hurting a little, but I ignored it as it was probably just from the heat and all the noise around me. I'm prone to headaches; it's partially way I take the medicine.

The horn went off signaling the start of the race, and I shot off, immediately gaining headway against all the other runners. One guy managed to catch up as we rounded one corner and I slowed a little due to another pound of my head, but I put on another burst of speed, and passed through the finish line to the shouts and cheers of my teammates and my friends.

I put my hands on my knees to catch my breath, and almost screamed in pain. A sharp shooting pain shot through my head, and it felt as if my skull was cracking into little pieces. I fell to my knees and dropped my forehead to the ground, closing my eyes tightly. I clamped my hands tightly over my ears as little whisperings started entering my head. I heard people calling my name and I wanted to yell at them to shut up, but I knew if I opened my mouth I'd start screaming bloody murder, and I wouldn't stop. Is this what hell feels like? Gosh I'm sorry, I will never use the word hell in vain again, just make the pain stop!

The whispering grew louder, like it was trying to reach me, not like it was trying to hurt me. But I mentally blocked it, I couldn't help it. It pushed harder against my skull, expanding, forcing outwards. I bit down on my tongue to keep myself from screaming out, and I tasted blood. I squeezed my eyes shut, begging for peace, begging for quiet, begging for everything to go away, to let me go, to stop!

I felt someone touch my back lightly, perhaps to comfort me, but the touch burned, and from it I tried to flinch, but every little movement caused the pain in my head to grow. I felt like my head was expanding, like something was trying to push its way out but my skull was preventing it. I dug my nails into my scalp and begged for the pain to stop, or for me to die, or for anything, just for it to end!

Slowly, ever so slowly, I felt the pain start to ebb away. I relaxed my grip, relaxed my muscles, and could make out the voices around me, instead of the incoherent whisperings in my head. I was afraid to take my hands away from my head; afraid little pieces would come with it. But I did, and they didn't. I pushed myself up so I was sitting cross-legged, and opened my eyes. The school nurse looked at me worriedly, as did my friends. That was only the second time that's ever happened. Nick was looking at me in horror, but not as if I was the one to be horrified at. As if he was horrified with what just happened. Almost as if… he knew. He also looked…happy in a way. As if it was a good thing my brain likes to attack me if I don't take my medicine. What a weirdo.

"God Sam, what the hell was that?" Jackie asked me, fright coming clear through her voice. In fact, the fright in her voice was reflected off of everybody's faces.

I just rubbed my temples and shrugged.

"Okay Miss Samantha, I'm going to ask you a few questions." Nurse Riley told me. I sighed; I hated q and a sessions. "Now, can you tell me your birthday?"

"May 31, 1993. I was born on a Monday. At 3:47 pm." **(I hate random authors notes, but just so you know, May 31, 1993 was a Monday. And that would make Max 16, since right now I'm deciding it's the beginning of May, so Emmy and Max have very close birthdays. See last chapter if you're confused.)** I replied, trying not to sound bored. The nurse smiled at me and marked it down on her clip board.

"Okay good. And your full name is?" Seriously? She just called me Samantha!

"Samantha Elise Johnson. Although I go by Sam." I told her, trying, with difficulty, to ignore the stares of everyone, who HAD NOT BUDGED!

"Very nice. Okay so what is today's date?" my head started hurting again, and this time it was from her stupid questions.

"Look Nurse Riley. I didn't hit my head, I'm not on drugs, I haven't had any alcohol in the near 17 years I've been alive. I'm just a little tired and overwhelmed from my car accident a few weeks ago, and what I really need is some rest and nice big bowl of ice cream. A good dose of Johnny Depp in a pirate suit wouldn't be so bad either. So please, if you would give me some pain killers and make these people stop staring at me like I grew a third arm, and let me go back to my dorm, it would be much appreciated."

Nurse Riley stared at me for a few moments, and I continued to rub my temples therapeutically. Then she silently dug through the first aid kit, handed me two Advil and a bottle of water, shooed everyone away, and helped me to my feet.

"Wow. Sam. Are you okay?"

"Jeez! You scared me! Us!"

"Don't do that!"

"Are you okay, like really really okay?"

I couldn't handle it. I turned on my heel and faced the people following me, staring at their concerned faces.

"YES! I'M OKAY! Just leave me alone! I've had one hell of an afternoon, my head hurts, and the last thing I need right now is you guys watching over me, guarding every little move I make! I'm going to go home, and I don't want anyone to bother me! I'm tired and I'm in pain, and you guys are irritating the crap out of me! So just leave me alone!" I screamed, before spinning around and storming off.

Sure I might've been a little harsh, but I deserved a little peace and quiet after my not-so-peaceful experience.

Later that night, sitting on my bed, I thought about the expression on Nick's face. How he had seemed so… relieved to see me respond like I did. It was strange, and as much I wanted to hate him (for reasons unknown) I felt strangely attracted to him. Not in that way. But I felt connected to him. He was alluring; there was something about him that just brought me back, that made me not want to stay away.

Sighing, I turned off my light and pulled up the covers. I closed my eyes, and almost immediately fell asleep.

"_Max. Where are you Max? Why did you leave me, Max?" a voice said from the dark surrounding me. It sounded oddly familiar._

"_I don't know what you're talking about." I replied, spinning around, trying to find the source._

"_Don't play games. You left me. You left me, and you never came back. Why Max? Why? Why won't you come back?" _

"_I don't know who you are! I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know who Max is!" I shouted at the black._

"_You're Max. You've always been her, my dearest Maximum Ride. I'm sorry Max. Come back, come back to me. Come back to us." The voice said softly._

"_My name isn't Max! It's-" but I stopped. I couldn't remember._

"_What is it? You don't know, because I told you. Your name is Max. And you know who I am. You've always known who I am."_

_Suddenly a name popped into my head and I thought for a moment. Could it really be that simple? I've never known him, have I? And yet… I have these memories of him. And I know his name._

"_Fang?"_

"_See? You do remember. You do know my name."_

"_But… I don't know you…" I trailed off. I knew what he was going to say before he said it._

"_If you don't know me, Max, then how do you know my name?"_

"_I don't know… Who are you? Please answer me that. I don't know how I know you're name, I don't know why you're talking to me right now, I don't even know who this Max is. Please, just tell me who you are."_

"_You know who I am. I've been with you every day of your life, even if I'm not there by your side, I'm there in your memories. And you ARE Max."_

_I think something about the word memories made the darkness start to disappear, as if I needed to start to remember. As if there were memories locked away that needed to be reborn, to be unlocked. The darkness, the black start ebbing away, started clearing away from me. But it moved so slowly, and I didn't know which direction this Fang was standing. _

_Then I just knew I was waking up. I didn't know how I knew, but I did._

"_Fang! Can you hear me?"_

_Faintly I heard him reply "Yes."_

"_Can I talk to you again?"_

"_You can talk to me whenever you wish."_

"_How? How can I talk to you?"_

"_I'm with you every day." It was even fainter now_

_That didn't answer my question. If anything, it made me more confused than ever. How could he be with me every day? I've never met him before. Have I? With a sudden need to see him, to know what he looked like, I rushed forward, not caring if I couldn't see because of the blasted dark. But everything grew white, so vividly white._

_And then I woke up._

**(I half wanted to leave it there….but I felt it was too short. So…. on we go! P.s. consider this a page break.)**

I sat on a rock beneath an old oak tree during art first period, sketching the courtyard fountain, thinking about my dream last night. Everyone had given me a wide berth this morning, probably remembering my outburst. That, along with the fact we were supposed to be doing solitary sketches, was probably the reason why Nick and Jeff, the only two of my friends in this class, were sitting on the opposite side of the courtyard. Despite the fact they were giving me space, I did not miss the constant glances Nick kept sending me. Something about his eyes… something in them was confusing. I couldn't read it like usual.

I decided to ignore it and concentrate on my sketch. After all, I was getting graded. But the more I concentrated, the more I thought about my dream. It was so vivid… And that voice. Something in the back of my mind told me I knew who it was. Well obviously. His name was Fang. But more than that, I felt like I knew him, personally. Like I had met him before. But that would be impossible.

I blinked and looked down at my sketch, and I wanted to both sigh in frustration and grin in pride.

I had drawn the silhouette of a tall figure standing on a cliff with his back to me. I had shaded in his hair to make it a little raggedy from the back. He was a wearing a simple shaded hoodie, and shaded jeans, with shaded sneakers. His hands were in his pockets, and he was staring off into the distance at the sun rising over a forest. But what was even better, and more amazing, and perhaps the best aspect to my picture, were the perfectly drawn, perfectly detailed, shaded-black wings sprouting from between my silhouette's shoulder blades. You could see every feather clearly, and they were spread evenly from one side of the page to the other.

This was by far my best work yet.

"Miss Johnson." I jumped. Then I looked over my shoulder to see my art teacher, Mr. Haley, behind me.

Mr. Haley has been here forever. He's tall, fit, and has grey hair, but doesn't look a day over 45 (though everyone knows he's in his 70's.) It's also well known that Mr. Haley was in the military at some point in his life (nobody knows when, or where, or what he did, just that he was a high ranking military officer) and that he is also trained in hypnotherapy. He always wears trouser pants and a tucked in fancy shirt with a tie, except on Friday. He always wears a black shirt and no tie on Fridays. **(Sorry for all the random authors notes, but this character is based completely off my biology teacher. Everything is true. Well except the name and subject he teaches. But the military and hypnosis thing is. Scary huh? He's my favorite teacher (=^-^=)) **He's also an amazing artist. Like, he can close his eyes, and draw a near perfect picture of what he had just looked at. I don't really like art, but for some reason he saw potential in me, and made me enter his class. And I have never regretted it.

"Yes, Mr. Haley?" I asked. Mr. Haley bent down, peering over my shoulder, his hands folded behind his back, but above his waist. (Some military thing. "Easier to access your guns, if need be." He said. Good to know. Even though I don't carry guns, I still walk around with my hands clasped above my waist.)

"What are you drawing?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Well… I'm not really sure. I sort of started remembering this dream I had, and then I looked down and this was on my paper." I replied, telling the truth. I don't like lying to my art teacher. He often sees right through me anyways.

"Ah. I see. And tell me. Are you happy with your work?" he asked.

I studied the silhouette for a moment or two, taking in every detail. There were perfect aspects, like the beautiful wings, and aspects that could be worked on, like the sunset. But the flaws balanced the perfect parts, evening it out. I studied it a bit longer. Then I smiled.

"Yeah. I am." Mr. Haley mirrored my smile.

"You see, Miss Johnson. Some people would've answered immediately, and would've been overly confident in their work, not taking the time to study it. They would presume that it was perfect and that anything else they drew would be as such. Others would have said almost immediately that they couldn't draw, and instantly have felt dejected. That would have resulted in poorer work. You just looked at it, taking in the flaws of the work, and the perfections. This allows you to see the beauty in everything, flaws and all, and appreciate it. All talented artists know this. I knew I was right when I said you had potential." He said, like a father would to a daughter. I think maybe that's why I like Mr. Haley so much. He acts and speaks to me like the father I never had.

"Thanks Mr. Haley. I really appreciate that. And I'm sorry for not doing the assignment." I said, smiling shyly.

"Don't be. The assignment was to draw a landscape scene. You have a sunrise over a forest in your picture. Technically, that counts. Next time, though, try to focus on clearing your mind." Of course, there has to be a little repercussion.

"Yes, Mr. Haley." He stood up, smiling. As he turned to walk away, he paused and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"It really is an amazing picture, Sam." I smiled even bigger as he walked away.

I looked down at my picture and ran my fingers over the outline of my silhouette's wings. Then I felt someone watching me. I looked up and saw Nick walking my way. I sighed as he made his way toward me and sat down on the empty space on my rock.

"Having a fun art class?" I asked.

"Yep. Mr. Haley's pretty cool." He said.

"I know."

Awkward silence.

"Can I see what you drew?" I asked.

"sure." He showed me a rough sketch of the fountain. It wasn't half bad. The thing was… he had drawn me sitting on my rock behind the fountain and everything. Pretty well.

"Cool. Except… You drew me…" I laughed a little. A flicker of a smile flashed across his lips.

"Can I see yours?" he asked.

I hesitated. Mine was more personal than his. But…he did show me his drawing which did contain me. So, half grudgingly, a showed him the picture of my silhouette with the black shaded wings.

I heard an audible gasp, and I swear his eyes widened. Was it really that good?

"How did you think of this?" he asked quietly, reaching out and tracing my picture, much like I had.

"I was thinking about a dream I had last night… and I guess I got lost in thought. I must have been drawing subconsciously because when I looked down I had drawn this." I paused. "The wings are my favorite part." I continued softly.

He smiled at me, a full blown smile, and I was so stunned I almost dropped my sketch book.

"They're my favorite part too." He said, still smiling. Somewhere in the back of my head, something clicked. Like a puzzle piece falling into place. There were still a few pieces missing, but it started to make sense.

"I should get back to Jeff. Blind kid + visual art = difficulty." Nick said, and get this, he was _still_ smiling! In my shock, I just nodded.

"Nick!" I called after him.

He turned and looked at me.

"Can we talk again…?" I asked, surprising myself. My sworn hatred for this person was fading by the second.

"You can talk to me whenever you wish." He said. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me as he turned around, because I swore I could've seen him with dark wings protruding from his simple black shirt.

As if it was a delayed reaction, what he said sunk in, and I looked from my picture, to Nick's back, replaying his voice in my head. It was the same thing Fang said in my dream. Did he do that on purpose? Could he somehow be related to Fang?

_What if….nah_

…_But…What if they're the same person? Could Nick be Fang? That would explain a lot… but at the same time… it explains nothing…_

I growled in frustration and dropped my head to my hands. I sat there for probably 15 minutes confusing the hell out of myself before the bell rang for chemistry. As I stood up, ignoring a wave of dizziness, I glanced over at Nick. He and Jeff were whispering, but as if he felt my gaze, he looked over at. As our eyes met I felt for certain that he knew something.

My dreams would help confirm that.

**Me: So the beginning of this was planned…. Everything else just sort of came as it came… so tell me how it was!**

**Rebbie: I like how it's going. And I like Mr. Hayley. Don't let your guard down around him Sam…. (Hint hint)**

**Me: riiiiight. Anyways…. Reviews make happy people, even if they aren't happy reviews!**


	19. We All Sing Like Sherlock Holmes

**Me: So… I have no long boring things to discuss this time. **

**Rebbie: Thank god. On with the story.**

**Me: wait. There are gonna be a few songs….by that I mean 4…. In this chapter. Hope you don't mind. I've been waiting to get them out.**

**Sam's POV**

_I was sitting in a tiny cave. Behind me led to the darkness, on both sides were cave walls, and in front of me was a cliff that dropped to a forest. The same cliff and forest I had drawn in my picture in art class 3 days ago. However I couldn't see much out over the forest because there was still the stupid dark encasing me. But at least it was disappearing. Oh and Fang was still mysteriously a voice from nowhere._

"_How long have you had the wings?" I asked Fang. He had confirmed it was him in my picture. Even though there's no way he could have possibly seen it._

"_Since I was little. They were grafted into my DNA when I was a baby." He said from somewhere. That's the thing about caves. You can't even tell what direction sounds come from._

"_Rough. I think it would be cool to have wings. To be able to fly whenever I wanted? Yeah. I would definitely not mind that." I smiled slightly._

"_You know, I'm really sick of not being able to see who you are." I complained. I heard a small sigh. We'd been going over this for the past few nights._

"_You have to become aware of who I am. I can't just tell you." He said. It was my turn to sigh._

"_Why? What's the big deal? Did you sign a contract or something? Find a loophole!" I muttered exasperatingly. _

"_It's not that simple."_

"_Of course not. Why would it be? Why can't the world just hand me a book and any time I want to know something, I open right up to any page and there's the answer? Because it's not that simple. Life isn't simple. Well no freakin' duh. We don't all stroll down fields of flowers all la-di-da now do we?" I grumbled, more to myself than to him._

"_There are people close to you in your life who can help you. They're trying to right now, and it's working. Let them help you Max." Fang told me, tiring of my easily discouraged attitude._

"_Who? Who are they? Is it Nick? Is it that geeky kid in my Chemistry class? Is it Jesse's dog? Who is it? Wait- let me guess. You can't tell me!" I cried out, completely frustrated. _

_The silence was a good enough answer. I picked up a nearby rock and chucked it into the darkness in front of me._

"_Just follow your instincts. Let yourself remember what you need to. Let your mind do what it wants. Trust yourself above anyone else. But don't forget that others are there to help you." I sighed. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was back in my bed._

"So you guys coming to the Monthly Karaoke night? It's tonight in the Gym, 7pm to 10pm." Jackie asked Nick and his group.

"OH Nick can we can we can we? I LOVE karaoke, even though I've never done it before. But songs and singing and songs and other people singing and loud music and people, well it will be fun! I want to go Nick, please! OH that reminds me of this one time, remember, we were in the car and we started singing to a song on the radio, and you got soooo irritated. Ahah I hate your driving. Oh I can't wait till I get my driver's license! Please Nick?"

"Monique. Shut up!" Jeff exclaimed, putting his hand over his ears, his face contorted in fake pain.

"Was that last please for a license or for karaoke?" Zeph asked out loud.

"Oh please, don't get her started again." Macey asked, wincing slightly. Monique looked slightly offended but shrugged off before looking at Nick with pleading eyes. He shrugged and she _squealed. _And Jackie squealed because someone else was squealing.

Everyone covered their ears in pain this time.

"You know, I never understood the whole girl squealing in excitement thing." Trevor said, rubbing his ears to make sure no damage was done.

"Yeah, well I'm a girl, I've known Jackie forever, and I still don't understand it." I told him. Jackie stuck her tongue out at me.

"Any of you singing tonight?" Ariel asked from her spot on my living floor where she was having a stuffed animal play date with Emmy, Star, and Celeste.

"Well Jackie does a song or two sometimes, and sometimes, but only sometimes, Sam can con Jesse into singing. Me and Trev will do a fun song if we feel the mood is too dull. Macey might do a trio with Jackie and Sam. And Sam loves it up on stage. In fact, people actually request her. What about you guys?" Mike asked.

"I will! There is no doubt about that! Well unless I chicken out. Jeff and Zeph would probably crack up halfway through so they're out. I can't even imagine Nick singing to be quite honest, like no offense. Well maybe like a rock song, or a totally depressed song. What? You have that whole 'I hate the world, so my songs do too' vibe going on. Don't glare it just proves my point. Ariel could sing a really cute song if she wanted. Omg what's it like, is it like a box? Or is it like a band? Wow you'd have to know a lot of songs to play for that… Omg I can't wait! This will be-" Jeff slapped a hand over her mouth, to everyone's relief.

"It's a band. Friends of mine. They know a lot, can play pretty much anything." Jesse said.

"Well, I'm looking forward to tonight. It should be fun." I said.

So here we were, gathered in the gym with about half the school, waiting for the band to set up. Finally, the lights went down, a cheer rang out, and the student announcer came out.

"Okay ladies and gents, the signup sheet is over there by the refreshments table. You can sing any song you want. Literally. But have taste people. We aren't at some old person's tea party. And now, without further ado, let's welcome our band, Matching Snowflakes!" and the crowd goes wild. Well half of it, the other half is rushing for the signup sheet. **(Don't laugh at the name. think about It. no snowflakes match.)**

Three song choices later, really bad song choices at that, Monique came up to me.

"You gonna sign up?" wow. Short sentence.

"Yeah. A little later though. I want to feel the music first." She nodded and smiled

"I signed up. I'm up in a few songs. Will you cheer for me?" she asked, seriously freaking out now.

"Always. And don't worry. The pressure the first time is always hard, but once you're on the stage, and all the attention is on you, the rhythm fills you and it's wonderful. You'll love it." she smiled at me and gave me a quick hug, which surprised me, then skipped off.

After a few songs, I saw her take the stage. She did an amazing job, singing Your Love is My Drug. I thought maybe it was little inappropriate, but it's just not my style of music. And anyways she did amazing. Wait I said that. And I said it again, four times, when she came and asked us how she did.

I suppose it was my turn to sign up, especially since 11 people I don't talk to had asked if I would be singing. But as I walked over to the signup sheet, I started remember Fang, who I had temporarily forgotten thanks to my musical heaven, and my mood turned sour. Normally I choose fast upbeat songs, but as I wrote down my name and my song choice, I decided, that if Fang was with me every day, that this song would be a pretty decent explanation of my feelings, and he would get to hear it. Supposedly. Plus it was one of my favorites to sing.

So after a few people went up, my name was announced, and people cheered so loud that I was slightly embarrassed that people were _that_ happy for me to perform. But I sat down on the stool brought out for my somewhat quieter song choice, and picked up the microphone.

"Hey guys. I'll be singing Tomorrow, by Avril Lavigne." The band started up on the music, just a strumming of the guitar.

_And I wanna believe you  
When you tell me that it'll be okay  
Yeah I try to believe you  
But I don't_

The rest of the band kicked in, softly.

_When you say that it's gonna be  
It always turns out to be a different way  
I try to believe you  
Not today, today, today, today, today_

The band's backup singers picked up softly, singing a little "yeah, yeah" behind my words, and repeating after me a few times.

_I don't know how I'll feel  
Tomorrow,(tomorrow) tomorrow(tomorrow)  
I don't know what to say  
Tomorrow,(tomorrow) tomorrow  
Is a different day  
(Tomorrow)_

It's always been up to you  
It's turning around it's up to me  
I'm gonna do what I have to do  
Just don't

Give me a little time  
Leave me alone a little while  
Maybe it's not too late  
Not today, today, today, today, today

Oh I don't know how I'll feel  
Tomorrow,(tomorrow) tomorrow(tomorrow)  
I don't know what to say  
Tomorrow, (tomorrow) tomorrow  
Is a different day

Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah  
And I know, I'm not ready  
Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah  
Maybe tomorrow  
Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah yeah yeah  
I'm not ready  
Hey yeah yeah, hey yeah yeah  
Maybe tomorrow

The music quieted down a little again, and I realized I had closed my eyes. I opened them to see people dancing as couples, or waving cell phones in the air. Jeesh. It's not that kind of slow song.

_And I wanna believe you  
When you tell me that it'll be okay  
Yeah I try to believe you  
Not today, today, today, today, today_

Tomorrow it may change.  
Tomorrow it may change.  
Tomorrow it may change.  
Tomorrow it may change.

The music ended right as I finished my last note. People clapped and whistled and cheered and I took a small bow (gotta keep up my show girl rep!) and exited the stage. Stupid Fang, wherever you are, you better have heard that! Although, I was pretty much telling him that I'd believe him tomorrow…or eventually anyways.

Somehow, in my mind, I knew he did. "Follow your instincts." Oh boy now I'm hearing his voice.

"That was a pretty song." A familiar voice said from behind me.

"Thanks Nick. It's one of my favorites." I said turning around. Since my first dream with Fang, and though it was only three days ago, I had been more friendly towards Nick, hoping something he knew would be shown to me. But I've gotten nowhere. "What about you, you gonna sing?"

"possibly." Whoa, hold up. Not the answer I had expected. A possibly from Nick was as good as a solid yes.

"Do I get a little insight, a little friend to friend dirt on what you might 'possibly' sing?"

"Nope." He said, popping the p. I frowned. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Just then Ariel came running up to me, gave me a hug, and shouted over the music about how good I was. Then she told me that Nick was singing and he frowned. I guess his possibly was supposed to remain a mystery. Too bad I already figured he'd be going up on stage.

"It's a good song too, Sam, you'll like it." Ariel said to me, winking at Nick who glared at her. Confused, who me? Totally. Then Ariel giggled and danced away, probably to find Monique, who was dancing somewhere with Jackie and Macey.

"She's better at dishing the dirt than you are. I'm offended. I thought you liked me." I said skeptically. He raised an eyebrow and said nothing but the corner of his lip twitched.

"Okay, next up ladies and gents, is a guy new to the stage. Don't be too hard on him. Please welcome, Nick Ride!" I shoved him towards the stage. He looked at it doubtfully and I sighed, giving him another hard shove.

"Get going! That's you're cue. You don't want to know what they do to people who don't show." I said and if his frown could've deepened, it would've. But he turned and grudgingly trudged up the stage stairs.

**(This was hard. I had two songs in mind, one a slow song, and one a fast song, both by the same band. Both had the same overall meaning, and both are awesome songs. I had such a hard time picking. So I decided, I'll do one now, and one later!)**

"Yeah. I'm Nick. This is If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead Yet? By Mayday Parade." He said. I could he him totally itching to get off the stage. No record deals for him, if he doesn't like all that attention.

So the music started, and it was fast, totally a song I would've pegged him for. And I really liked it. And then, he started to sing.

_Baby, I sorely miss the vibrant gleam that's in your eyes  
I'll write a song about it  
And maybe, if the melody's just right  
I hope tonight it will find you, it will remind you_

But what's holding me back is the thought of time we never had  
My world's hanging by three words that I can't bear to say

The music had been slowly picking up speed, and stopped for a millisecond as Nick said the first few words of the chorus, but then came in, fast as ever.__

When you hear this chorus  
Do you miss the way the world was spinning for us  
Do you hurt the way that I do  
After all this time you leave me broken  
This song is every word I left unspoken  
When you hear this girl, I'm hoping  
That you think of us

_That you think of us_

The music slowed down, still fast, but not as much.

_Baby, I told myself that I'll be fine but it's a lie  
I don't want to talk about it  
Memories, oh they cut like knives  
Deep inside I'm falling, baby catch me if you can_

_But what's holding me back is the thought of time we never had  
My world's hanging by three words that I can't bear to say_

When you hear this chorus  
Do you miss the way the world was spinning for us  
Do you hurt the way that I do  
After all this time you leave me broken  
This song is every word I left unspoken  
When you hear this girl, I'm hoping  
That you think of us

There was an epic guitar solo with some random intervals of instruments here and there for a few seconds but all I could think was "Oh. My. God. Nick. Can. Sing!" like really. It was playing on repeat in my head. The music slowed for a second but picked up again after he said the next few lines of the song.  
_  
When you hear this chorus  
Do you miss the way the world was spinning for us  
Do you hurt the way that I do  
After all this time you leave me broken  
This song is every word I left unspoken  
When you hear this girl, I'm hoping  
That you think of us_

_That you think of us _(he held this note for a pretty decent amount of time for a guy. I was impressed.) The music slowed for the last line.

_Baby, I sorely miss the vibrant gleam that's in your…eyes…_

As he said, well sang, that final line, he was looking directly at me. We locked eyes for what seemed like eternity, but you know, he _had_ to get off stage eventually. Plus, I was still sort of trance like, thinking "Oh. My. God. Nick. Can. Sing!" over and over and over and over and over and

"So? How was it?" he asked, after having pushed through a swarming crowd of overly happy girls, who probably didn't even listen to the song.

"Oh. My. God. Nick can sing!" I said. Well glad that's over with.

"Well. Yeah." He shrugged. I laughed. So modest.

"You should do another one." I told him. He stared at me, and I couldn't tell if he thought I was crazy, or if he was actually considering it.

"I might do another one. There's someone on my mind, and I like to express how I feel through songs. It's fun. Oh, why'd you pick that song?" I asked. He continued to stare at me.

"There's someone on my mind."

"Copycat." He gave me a half smile, and suddenly we were bombarded by everyone coming to tell him how good he was. That was my cue to slip away.

I headed over to the signup sheet, a song popping into my head, and even though it was written for lower voices than mine (it was a guy's song!) I'd been told I could sing it well. So I signed myself up with a new song, one that I think spoke to Fang a lot more than my previous one. Tomorrow said that there was a way I could believe him, but that I was finding it difficult. This song said I needed him to help me believe and the only way I was going to was if he helped me. Which wasn't exactly how things were working out. It sort of also said I was living in a fantasy world… but I could skip over that part.

I waited a little while some good singers went up, and some bad singers went up. But finally it was my turn again. And this time, I knew, I just knew, that Fang was watching me. I could feel him near me; I could practically hear his voice. I looked out into the crowd and could've sworn I could feel his eyes directly on me.

But instead of looking for him, I tuned out everybody except the band and took the mic.

"Hey guys. I'm back. This song is dedicated to someone who…well just someone. It's called Comatose, by Skillet." I said. **(I'm not going to describe the music during the song; it's too awesome and too complicated. Just listen to the song.)**

_I hate feeling like this  
I'm so tired of trying to fight this  
I'm asleep and all I dream of  
Is waking to you_

_Tell me that you will listen_

_Your touch is what I'm missing_

_And the more I hide, I realize_

_I'm slowly losing you_

_Comatose_

_I will never wake up without an_

_Overdose_

_Of you_

_I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breath_

_Unless I feel you next to me_

_You take the pain I feel_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_I don't wanna sleep, I don't wanna dream_

_Cuz my dreams don't comfort me_

_The way, you make me feel_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_I hate living without you_

_Dead wrong, to ever doubt you_

_But my demons lay in waiting_

_Tempting me away_

_Oh how I adore you_

_Oh how I thirst for you_

_Oh how I need you_

_Comatose_

_I will never wake up without an_

_Overdose_

_Of you_

_I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breath_

_Unless I feel you next to me_

_You take the pain I feel_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_I don't wanna sleep, I don't wanna dream_

_Cuz my dreams don't comfort me_

_The way, you make me feel_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_Breathing life, waking up_

_My eyes, open up_

_Comatose_

_I will never wake up without an_

_Overdose_

_Of you_

_I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breath_

_Unless I feel you next to me_

_You take the pain I feel_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_I don't wanna sleep, I don't wanna dream_

_Cuz my dreams don't comfort me_

_The way, you make me feel_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_Oh how I adore you_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_Oh how I thirst for you_

_(Waking up to you never felt so real)_

_Oh how I adore you ohhh_

_The way you make me feel_

_Waking up to you never felt so real_

I panted but smiled at the audience. I felt a pair of eyes staring at me from somewhere and I glanced around frantically. This would be my first chance to finally see Fang! But the person I met eyes with was… Nick? And he was staring at me with such intensity I felt like he might burn a hole through my head. Oo scary thought.

After breaking his stare and continuing my search, I sighed and got off stage, dejected. I knew he was here, I just knew it! I could feel him… why wouldn't he let his presence be known? I had practically spilled my heart out to him, telling him I was ready to understand whatever it was he was having difficulty telling me! And he couldn't even tell me his hair color (although the name and my memory was kind of leading me to the whole black color scheme)

"Wow Sam! You totally rocked!" Zeph told me.

"thanks." I said, distracted. I think Nick noticed this. Funny. Normally Jesse is the first.

I excused myself and walked to the chairs set up along the sides of the gym. They were mostly empty because everyone was dancing or singing or whatever. After taking my seat, well lying across three chairs, I sighed and thought about Fang. I could feel a list coming on…

Soo. 1. He has wings. Black ones. Fair enough. Well no, completely unfair.

2. So far, I have only been able to talk to him in my dreams. Which is useless, seeing as he can't really tell me much.

3. I have a few memories of him, mostly just me talking to him with a few random people, who seem familiar, with us. Not so helpful.

4. I have no proof he's real, but I can tell when he's near me, even though I can't see him.

5. He thinks I'm a person called Max.

6. Nick's voice is freakily similar, if not exactly the same.

7. Nick looks nearly exactly like what I picture Fang to look like.

8. Nick has mentioned a Max before hasn't he…?

9. And she left him. Fang mentioned how his Max left him, too. Weird.

10. Fang keeps telling me to trust the people close to me. Nick's close to me.

11. What about the people with Nick… don't they seem eerily like the others that Fang has mentioned?

I groaned. A headache started to form.

"Whatcha thinking about?" speak of the devil and he shall come.

"So me."

"Did I say that out loud?" I asked. Nick nodded and I groaned again.

Only then did I look up and see that the place was nearly empty.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Around 10:30." He replied, as if it was completely normal for us to be alone in a gym on a Saturday at 10:30 at night.

"What? How?" I asked, feeling dumb.

"Well, it was around 9:45 when you came over here, and you've been lying down dazing off for the last 45 minutes. Everyone decided not to bother you, and left me to wait for you." He said to my dumbfounded face. I just blinked.

"Okay then. Wait." And I lay back down and went back to thinking.

A few moments later I heard the sound of shuffling, and chair being moved. It sounded like it was on stage. Next thing, I heard a guitar start strumming. I opened my eyes and looked over at the stage to see Nick with a guitar in his lap **(I know, it's done a lot. But it's best this way. This song is I Swear This Time I Meant It by Mayday Parade. It's realllly pretty. Listen to it!)** The place was dim, but the stage was still a little lit up. It made him look…angelic.

And then he began to sing, really softly. The mic wasn't on so I sat up and strained to hear him.

_Oh Florida please be still tonight_

_Don't disturb this love of mine_

_Look how she's so serene_

_You gotta help me out_

_And count the stars to form the lines_

_And find the words we'll sing in time_

_I wanna keep her dreaming_

_It's my one wish I won't forget this_

_I'm outdated, overrated_

_Morning seems so far away_

_So I'll sing a melody_

_And hope to god she's listening_

_Sleeping softly while I sing_

_And I'll be your memories_

_Your lullaby for all the times_

_Hoping that my voice could get it right_

_If luck is on my side tonight_

_My clumsy tongue will make it right_

_And wrists that touch, it isn't much_

_But it's enough_

_To form imaginary lines_

_Forget your scars, we'll forget mine_

_The hours change so fast, _

_Oh god please make this last_

_Cuz I'm outdated, overrated_

_Morning seems so far away_

_So I'll sing a melody_

_And hope to god she's listening_

_Sleeping softly while I sing_

_And I'll be your memories_

_Your lullaby for all the times_

_Hoping that my voice could get it right_

_Could get it right_

_You could crush me_

_Please don't crush me_

_Cuz baby I'm a dreamer, for sure_

_And I won't, let you down_

_I swear this time I mean it_

_And I'll sing a melody_

_And hope to god she's listening_

_Sleeping softly while I sing_

_And I'll be your memories_

_Your lullaby for all the times_

_Hoping that my voice could get it right_

I wanted to clap but I was too in awe. That was beautiful. He sang with such feeling, like he was singing for somebody. I thought about the lyrics. _And I'll be your memories. _Didn't Fang say something very similar? I didn't even realize I had walked over to the stage until he put the guitar down and jumped off to land in front of me.

"Um. That was realllly nice." I said. Lame Sam. Really lame.

He stared at me. What, does he want a 10 page written essay on how amazing his voice is? Sorry, not gonna happen.

"You can play the guitar pretty well."

Nothing.

"No encore?" I asked.

Not even a cricket. What is he waiting for, Christmas? Seriously!

"Mkay. I'm going to go now." I turned to walk away, when a hand reached out and grabbed my arm to prevent me from going anywhere.

And at the same time, the biggest shock ran through my body. And it hurt! Like I swear, I think I saw blue static go between me and Nick. He pulled his hand away pretty fast, so at least I know I wasn't the only who felt it.

"Um. Ow."

"So you decided to speak again!"

Silence. I swear he does that just to piss me off. Even Jesse doesn't not talk like that. Wait. What?

I think the blue shock sent something up into my head though, and I stared at him a little harder, studying him. He gave me the weirdest look. And I don't mean "you have broccoli in your teeth" weird, I mean like he was waiting.

_And I'll be your memories_

_When you hear this chorus  
Do you miss the way the world was spinning for us  
Do you hurt the way that I do_

_Wrist that touch, it isn't much  
But it's enough_

_Memories, oh they cut like knives_

_It will remind you_

_But what's holding me back, is the thought of time we never had_

_I'm outdated, overrated_

_I swear this time I mean it_

I gasped and took a step back. Those songs, they were directed at me! And unintentionally, I had been answering back! Oh my gosh! I'm so stupid! But wait… so if those songs were directed at me, then that means… Nick is…

"You're him! You're Fang! Aha! I've finally figured it out! Although, I've only been trying to for like two weeks… but still! You're him! Wait… oh my god. Do you have… you know… wings? Jealous! I. Am. Jealous!" I shouted. He shoved a hand over my mouth then looked around quickly, but luckily we were the only two here.

"gross." He said as I had licked his hand to get I off my mouth. He wiped it on his shirt before looking at me. He stared for a moment, as if considering things.

"Well? Aren't you going to applaud my geniusness? I figured out something great!" I whispered loudly. I felt like a kid in a penny candy store who had just found a twenty dollar bill.

"Well you still don't even know anything. But yeah. That's who I am. And yes. I have wings. So do you. I think." He said.

I think my chin hit the floor. I have wings? No way!

"What do you mean, you think? Its either I do or I don't. And um, I've taken a shower before…nothing there." I said.

"Look we can't really talk about this here." He said. I frowned but understood. People could overhear.

"Well okay, I'll come by tomorrow. See you in my dreams! Oh that sounds sketchy. But its true! Now that I finally know for sure what 'Fang' looks like maybe he'll freakin' come out of the shadows. It's creeping me out. Oh listen to me! Talking about you as if you weren't here. Boy this will take some getting used to. But I feel… I feel like I'm already used to it." I said. I was beginning to feel like Jackie, or Monique. Is this what they feel like when they talk and talk and talk?

"We have a lot to discuss. Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. And Sam… nothing's going to happen to you because your medicine's gone. Stop worrying." Nick, no Fang sorry, said. He seemed happy that I have finally put two and two together. I mean looking back, it really does seem obvious. But he also seemed disheartened, as if for some reason I hadn't figured out enough.

But I felt like I had figured out why the sky was blue, why the grass was green. I felt like I had figured out the meaning of life. Then I remembered Max and everything came tumbling down again. I still had no idea how I was connected to her.

_It'll all be explained soon._

And now I'm hearing voices. Great.

**Me: so this was a little jumpy but I need her to remember Fang. It was getting a little tiring. **

**Rebbie: not the best chapter, I agree. But definitely one of the most anticipated moments, I will say.**

**Me: reviews anyone?**


	20. Don't Run, She Knows

**Me: Sorry it's been a little while. I moved so it's been kind of hectic. But here I am. And I'm prepared to give you a decent chapter.**

**Rebbie: Hmm….I wonder what she defines as decent…**

**Me: Certainly it's not acceptable in YOUR eyes…**

**Rebbie: nobody asked for your opinion.**

**Me: Isn't that my line…?**

**Sam's POV**

After my interesting revelation yesterday, I was now sitting in the apartment that Nick… I mean Fang (which is a very strange name)… and his fellow -umm whatever they are- live. I apparently needed a lot more information than I thought I did. I could tell it was going to be a long day.

I was sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, watching them all. It was quite creepy actually, since they were all watching me as well. Nick-Fang-Whatever was standing across from me, leaning back against the opposite wall. The cute little Ariel was looking very mature with her calculating stare and was sitting in Jeff's lap on the couch. Jeff was glancing in my general direction with a small frown on his face. Monique was oddly quiet but was smiling almost scarily at me and I could see her itching to say something. She was sitting in a chair against the wall across from me, but she was bouncing so much I doubt you could call it sitting. Zeph was leaning against the chair Monique was sitting in, giving me a very curious look.

I was feeling very violated and creeped out to say the least.

We were just sitting/standing like that. Quietly, looking at each other. Waiting. Someone had to say something, but neither of us wanted to go first.

"Okay this is getting ridiculous. I'm here because obviously your name not really being Nick is of some significance to my life. I want to know why, and obviously you wish to tell me. So get on with it! It's the weekend; I'm wasting Emmy time on you guys." I said breaking the silence. I was getting frustrated. I get to spend time with Emmy on weekend, and here it was, a Saturday, and I'd had to call Jesse's parents asking them to watch Emmy because 'something had come up.' And here I was, and nothing was being said.

"Well first let's tell you our real names, since you already figured out Nick, or well Fang's." Ariel suggested. I supposed maybe I should've been surprised that they had different names, but you know, this is my life.

"My name is Angel. And this is Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy." I blinked and raised an eyebrow. Iggy? Nudge? Gazzy I could understand… have you smelt the kid? And Angel did look angelic. Fang did also fit his persona quite well I guess.

"What an odd sort of names. I don't suppose you named yourselves?" she nodded. Figures. "And I already know that you have wings due to avian DNA being grafted into your DNA when you were babies, probably before that even."

"How on earth did you know that?" Iggy (I really wanted to laugh at his name. it's so weird!) asked. I saw mirrors of surprise on the other's faces.

"That's a looooong story… to sum it up, he told me, in a dream." I said, pointing to Fang. I was already getting comfortable calling him that. It took a few tries, but… it felt normal.

"Well that's a good start. Um, it's true. We'll continue on that later, first off. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask? You must have a ton of questions; I'd have a ton of questions if I was in your position. So go ahead, ask one. Or two or three. We'll answer to the best of our ability, which is pretty awesome if I may say so." Nudge said, and thankfully stopped talking on her own.

"I do have a question. Who's Max?" The collective intake of breath was a bit unsettling. I saw nervous glances get cast about the room, looking anywhere but at me. I waited, almost impatiently, nearly losing it, but remaining calm, until someone decided to answer. Finally Fang settled his gaze on me.

"You are." I tilted my head, and everybody suddenly looked at me again, waiting for my reply. What would Sam say to this marvelous revelation? Would she welcome the news openly? Or would she be afraid and hide? Or would she do something completely unexpected? How would she take to finding out she was the Max so loved by this group? What would she _say_? What would she _do_?

What did I say? Nothing. What did I _do_? I burst out laughing.

I must've laughed for 5 minutes solid. There were tears in my eyes, and I was all but gasping for breath, clutching my sides. I wiped away the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand and nearly cracked up again at the gaping mouths and wide eyes at my reaction. I took a few deep breaths, counting to ten.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I'm sure that's not the reaction you were expecting…" I said, restraining another chuckle. Gazzy grinned.

"Yeah. It definitely wasn't. Can't say what we were expecting… but that was definitely not it." Iggy muttered a yeah, still in a slight shock.

"Well okay, I suppose I should explain why I laughed. See, here you are, people with wings, claiming to have lost someone important to you –for which reasons I still don't know- and you've been here for a long while, and I didn't really even like you guys. And here I am, a teenage girl who's lived a rather decent life of normalcy, give or take, with maybe a few minor exceptions to the whole weird factor. I've never once seen you guys before in my life, and yet you claim I'm this person with wings. You mask yourselves in mystery and sadness over this missing member and then suddenly go 'oh hey guess what, this person we lost is you! Isn't that great?' and I'm supposed to be all like 'yes, it's wonderful!' It's like in a cheesy teenage psychological mystery movie. When does the action start? Where's the climax? I'm sorry I can't just believe you, just like that. I don't know you, I never have. And I certainly don't have wings. Sure it would be fun to have them, but I'm not sure I want them. I just find it funny how it all wraps up, don't you? Not to mention your very abnormal names. That made me laugh too. But they would make anyone laugh, sorry." I said, laughing a little.

But I was the only one.

"You don't want wings?"

"You don't believe us."

"It wasn't the right time…."

"I knew we should've waited."

"You are her!"

"How is that even funny?"

"I've never seen a movie like that..."

"Decent life of normalcy? What qualifies as normal?"

That question got me. I stopped to think. What qualified as normal? I had a boyfriend, good friends, and good grades. And I do sports, and I have my future mapped out. I had a favorite color, and I had hobbies I enjoyed. That was normal right? Sure my parents are nonexistent, and I'm taking care of a four-year-old, but that's normal to me. Sure I heal a bit faster than average, and I can run faster than most boys, and I'm an exceptional fighter… but to me that's all normal. And it's normal that I can draw subconsciously. It's normal that the closest to a father I've ever had is my art teacher.

"Normal? What's normal…? You ask me what qualifies as normal… I see. Normal… normal is different. Oh that's confusing…. Normal is what you want normal to be. To me, my life is normal. I have a daughter, more or less. My parents don't exist. I've taken care of myself for as long as I can remember. That's normal. For me, that's normal. I like my normal. It what I want it to be. It's how I like it. My normal is just that. Mine. So you ask what qualifies as normal. Nothing. Nothing qualifies as normal, because everyone is different. And everyone's life is normal. Not boring. Normal is not boring. Normal is not average. Normal is what you want it to be." I murmured. I looked up from the fingers I had been twirling, deep in thought.

Everyone's faces were now ones of awe, of respect, and understanding. I smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"And to us, normal is having wings and flying around. And you are part of that normal." Fang said, arms crossed. I could tell he was trying to be patient but he was desperate.

"I am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"I am not and that's final!"

"You guys are being silly. Let's talk this out diplomatically." Angel said. I was a little shocked. Here I was getting scolded by the youngest person in the room.

"I don't see what's to talk about."

"You heal fast right?"

"Yeah…" Where was she going with this?

"You can run extremely fast? You broke records on your first try, records that hadn't be broken in years?" I rose an eyebrow, but nodded.

"You can fight amazingly. You broke some guy's nose when he hit on you in 8th grade, am I right?" Where does she get this information?

_If it's in your head, it's in mine. _

"Oh great. First he's in my dreams, and now you're in my mind. That's just great, just splendid. Get. Out." She smiled sweetly at me, but I knew she wasn't in my head anymore.

"And you've had an affinity for birds. You once saved a hawk from an animal control guy who was gonna put it down, when it was stuck in bird wire set up by hunters and abandoned. You cared for it for a month, and it even still visits sometimes. What did you name it? Ari. Something in you told you that it suited the male hawk."

"You're a tad creepy. Cute, but creepy." How did she know I named the hawk Ari? I thought I was cute, because it sounded like air. But also, I don't know, something in me told me he wanted the name.

"This is all because you're one of us. We heal fast, run fast, are stronger than average, and obviously love birds. Plus, of course the wings. That medicine wasn't helping you with migraines, you don't have a heart problem, and you're totally fine if you go off of it. It was preventing you from developing. What happened was you've been in an advanced time cycle, where for the last two years, this entire town has been in fast forward. It just stopped in the last few months. Since you were little, this medicine has been preventing you from growing wings. It suppressed your avian DNA. And now, the medicine is gone and the headaches are bringing your DNA back into your system. It was never really gone, just hidden away. You are one of us. But you can't fully become one of use until you want to. It's a side effect. A very clever one. The medicine targeted the brain in some fancy scientist way, so that not all of the DNA will be released until you want it to. It's kind of like a safety box, locked inside your brain."

I was listening intently as Nudge went on and on about DNA and fancy science stuff. It was really believable. I could really be one of them? But deep down, I was only thinking one thing.

Emmy took this medicine too. So was she one of them, if all they were saying was true?

"Look, I'm not saying I believe I'm this Max person, but you have me pretty convinced with the medicine thing. Either this is a pretty elaborate lie, well thought out, or you're telling the truth. In which case, I need to excuse myself. I have a call to make."

Without waiting for a reply, I excused myself and stepped out into the hallway, and walked outside, closing the door to apartment building behind me. I pulled out my cell phone and quickly dialed Jesse's parents' house.

It rang and rang and rang, and I thought nobody was going to answer.

"Hello?" A female voice picked up.

"Oh thank goodness you've answered. May I speak to Emmy?" I asked.

"Why, of course Sam. One second, she's out in the yard playing with Cal." I smiled and said ok. Cal was the family's cocker spaniel.

"Hiya Sammy! How are you? Emmy misses you, and she's sad we can't play today." I smiled sadly, but I was so happy to hear my little girl's voice so happy and energetic.

"Hey Emmy. I'm fine. I miss you too. Actually, I have something I need to tell you Emmy. It's something you have to do for me, and you can't tell anybody about it. Not Auntie, or Uncle, or even Cal, okay? Not Jackie, or Jesse, nobody but you and me can know. Can you do it?" I asked. I knew she was very good at keeping secrets; she once hid a pet mouse from me for two weeks. And she kept hidden a birthday party for me last year.

"Emmy can Sammy. Emmy's alone in this room, and we only have one phone so you can tell me what you want me to do." I smiled, relieved. She was such a bright child. And she watched too many cop shows…

"Stop taking your medicine. I know I've said its bad to do that, but it's important. But make sure everyone thinks you've taken it. Hide it somewhere, or throw it out. I know you can do it sweetie. That's all I can tell you over the phone, I'll see you soon and tell you more, okay?"

"Okay Sammy. Emmy trusts you. Emmy loves you Sammy. See you soon!" she said and my heart flipped.

"Sammy loves you too. She always will. Bye Emmy." I said into the phone.

"Bye Sammy!" Emmy exclaimed, and the phone went dead. I sighed and hung up my cell.

"You care for her a lot." I sighed again.

"Of course I do. She's the only family I have." I turned around and glared at Fang. He was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed.

"Can you please just put your faith in us?" he asked, his mask falling. He _was_ desperate. His eyes showed me how broken he was, how hurt this girl had left him. I was slightly surprised but I softened a little.

"What other choice do I have?"

"You can turn and run. Forget everything. Just like that one time." He said bitterly. And back up the walls went.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you and Max, or me, or whatever. But it's in the past. Right now, you have me, as I am. And I like you, as you are, right now. So let's just… I don't know… calm down, all of us, and consider how things are, okay? We've gotten this far."

I smiled and took a few steps towards the door, stopping in front of Fang, motioning inside. He pushed himself off the door frame and stood in front of me meeting my eyes.

"You haven't changed a bit." He said softly, and I believed him. For some strange reason, I believed I was this Max person. Staring into his eyes, I just believed him. Just like that. All of them. Everything.

And then suddenly and yet as if it was planned, his lips were on mine. He was kissing me, and I wasn't stopping him. In fact… I was kissing him back.

I forgot about everything as I wove my hands through his hair, pulling him closer, as if that was even physically possible. He placed one hand on the small of my back, holding me to him, while the other was on the back of my neck, which was oddly sensitive. It kept sending tingles down my spine. I tilted my head to kiss him better and his just followed my movement. It was perfectly synchronized. Like… like we had done this before.

We kissed for what seemed like forever. But you know, eventually you have to come up for air.

We pulled away, both of our eyes still closed. I don't know how I knew, but I knew both of us had our eyes still closed. I detangled my fingers from his hair, and we rested our foreheads against each other, breathing raggedly. Eyes still closed, I made to pull away. I had just kissed someone who wasn't my boyfriend… and I had liked it. But strong arms wrapped around me. I opened my eyes at the same time Fang did.

He pulled me closer, into a strong hug, knowing I could've easily broken away if I had wanted to. I looked away, embarrassed.

"Don't run." He whispered. I blinked and turned my head to meet his eyes.

"Don't run." He repeated quietly. He sounded so… vulnerable. Without really knowing what I was doing, I felt myself raise my arms and wrap them around him. I hugged him tightly, burying my face in his shoulder. His shirt was extremely soft, and it smelled really good. His arms tightened around me. He really didn't want me to run.

"I'm not going to."

**Third Person POV**

The person turned away from the two so openly embracing. He had been hiding in the shadows, watching the whole encounter. And he was afraid the day had come.

He had been watching her her entire life. Well, her entire new life. Maximum Ride. No he had been watching Samantha Elise Johnson. He had been carefully studying her, making sure the pieces lay out correctly.

But here were some unexpected guests, guests he didn't like. Guests not invited to this tea party. They ruined all he had built. They ruined everything. His perfectly built world, everything was crumbling down around him and she was at the center.

It was his job to watch her, to prevent this. He failed. And now there was one thing left to do. Turn her against the one she just fell for, again. Turn her against the family she just unknowingly found. Turn her against them all. And how was he going to do that? By executing his master plan.

He dialed a phone number. The receiver answered immediately, and without hesitation he told the person on the other end the problem.

"She knows."

**Me: So I wanted to make this chapter longer, but this actually worked out well. Cliffhanger anybody? How was my kissing scene? I'm proud of it, I hate/suck at writing romance. FAX! You knew it was coming (=^-^=) And I know Fang was a little ooc, but how would you feel if your long lost love(oo alliteration ha-ha) had just said she remembers your name, but doesn't really want to be the person she is, which means be the person who loves you? Surely you'd get a little broken and desperate. What makes everyone think Fang would react like the tough guy and become all mopey and macho (at the same time?) Why cant he be a normal human being with normal human feelings? So this is what he is doing, having normal human feelings. Which means, it's not really ooc, since he doesn't really have any of these dramatic scenes in the book, so we don't know how he'd react. So HAH! **

**Rebbie: You're ranting..**

**Me: I know -_-'**

**Rebbie: Hmm nice scary twist at the end. Any guesses as to who it is? People who guess correctly get a preview to a later chapter!**

**Me: Don't go advertising stuff without asking me. But that's a good idea. She's telling the truth! Review!**


	21. Grateful

**Me: Hola. I know it's been a little bit, but my great-grandfather died… so yeah my family has been a little mopey and depressed. I haven't really; I wasn't that close to the guy. In fact, he was a rather grumpy old man, and I hardly saw him in the last 4 years. But it is still sad that he's gone, leaving behind 7 kids, tons of grandkids and a few great-grandkids such as myself. I did love his sarcastic I hate the world attitude too. Now I know that it runs in the family. But yep that's why it's been taking so long, we've been planning all his funeral stuff and I had to rearrange a vacation (another reason to not feel bad the guy died, I was looking forward to my vacation! Sorry I just don't react when people die.) And I've has so many more shifts at work and its all be bleh. So I'm updating. Yay!**

**Rebbie: it's amazing your sympathy towards the dead.**

**Me: I just don't react. You could tell me my mom died and I swear I'd be like oh. I don't know why. Anyways why do you care, you have no sympathy for anything.**

**Rebbie: your point?**

**Me: I think that was it…. onwards with the chapter! Btw Fang might seem a little ooc, but that's cuz I suck at writing from his POV. But I thought it would be best for this chapter. And I actually swear in the chapter, something I hate doing but I think the mood calls for it. So, SORRY! In advance. And pardon me for swearing (=^-^=)**

**Fang's POV**

Our meeting with Max had gone…well to say the least. Sure she was a little reluctant, but I believe she was beginning to come to terms with her true past, and not the ones the white coats had given her (upon her request, which we can overlook.) After our…incident… she seemed a little bit more inclined to believe our words. I did seem to have that affect on her.

She had left a little over an hour ago, muttering something about 'wasting Emmy time', so I could only assume she had gone to pick up Emmy for the night. This was probably safest for Emmy since we now knew that Emmy was also on the same medicine the white coats had been feeding Max. Which left some curious questions to be answered. Was Emmy one of us?

None of us had really moved much in the last hour, trying to decide on our next move. Nudge was being curiously quiet, and Iggy and Gazzy were chatting quietly about one thing or another. Angel seemed to be thinking about something. I was staring down at the rug from my corner of the room, thinking about Max.

"Fang…?" Angel whispered from her seat on our couch. I looked up at her. Her eyes were a little glazed over but her face looked worried.

"Hmm?"

"You have to get to Max. Right now. We have to go. Now!" She screamed at me, tears cascading down her cheeks. I was startled by her scream and almost jumped.

Her sudden shout alerted the others, and within seconds we were bolting outside. I had no idea what had her so spooked, but her voice scared me. Whatever she was hearing, whatever she was seeing, I just hoped that it wasn't as bad as the terror in her voice.

* * *

We were at Max's dorm in minutes, landing in the small woods beside it, quickly running up to her room. I thanked whatever beings were on our side that Jackie was at work and Macey was at soccer practice. Who knows what they would have thought if they saw five frantic kids huddled around their friend's door. We knocked on the door, and waited. No one answered. Without waiting any longer, Iggy quickly picked open the door and we all shoved inside. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary.

"She's not here." Gazzy said, stating the obvious for everyone.

"She hasn't come here yet." Angel said, her eyes glazing over, tears forming again at the corners of her eyes. Then it clicked, and I saw it click behind everyone else's eyes too.

"She went to pick up Emmy…" Nudge trailed off, and normally we would've been shocked at her sentence, for surely it was a record. But she had stated the thing each of us had realized.

If Max was in danger, and Max was with Emmy then…

"We have to go." I said, hardly waiting for the brief nods and muttered agreements as I turned and rushed back out the door, barely making it to the woods before taking off. I didn't look back once to make sure the others had followed. I knew they had. They were just as worried as I was. Max may be one of us, but she was suppressing her avian DNA. If she was in trouble, who knows how long she could fight against it, if she could fight against it. Surely it wouldn't be too long.

* * *

The flight to Jesse's parent's house could not have seemed any longer, and before we touched ground something seemed wrong about it. The door was slightly ajar, and all the lights were off, despite the fact it was late afternoon and there were three cars in the driveway. One of them was Max's. Not to mention the overwhelming silence. The phrase 'quiet, too quiet' never seemed so real. Slowly, we made our way to the doorway, hardly daring to breathe too loudly. We hesitated at the doorstep, knowing we could be walking into a trap. Suddenly the eerie silence was broken by a large crash and the sound of glass shattering, followed by a loud yell.

We didn't hesitate after that. I pushed the door open and ran into the house, stopping only to let Angel go before me, to follow the sound of the thoughts. We rushed after her, going through the hallway, past the living room and the dining room and into the kitchen. I barely processed the upset furniture and broken household items that lay in the rooms we passed.

We skid to a stop at the large entry way to the kitchen, letting the scene before us sink in. what we saw before us was surprising, and a tad alarming.

The kitchen table had been broken in half and lay in splintered pieces on the floor in the middle of the room. What had once been kitchen chairs were now broken pieces of wood one might use for a fire. Shattered glass lay like glittering jewels on the kitchen floor, deadly jewels, ready to cut you if you came too close. Plastic ware and silverware and other random kitchen items lay strewn about, as if a twister had come through. What I assume to be the microwave lay in a pile of metal pieces near the sink, which was missing its faucet. The window above the sink had been smashed, a leg from the table clean through it. The light on the kitchen ceiling was dangling by a very thin wire, but still shining it's brightest, and probably the only glass in the room left intact.

And on one side of the kitchen, nearest the door, was a very angry Max.

She had a cut along her forehead, and another one trailing from the corner of her eye to her jaw. She seemed to have cuts on her arms too, as if she had fallen into the broken glass. A bruise was forming on her jaw, but aside from that she looked unharmed. She did however look pissed. Her hands were being held by none other than Jesse's mother. Max was wriggling and looked exhausted, as if she had been fighting left and right nonstop, but that didn't mean she was about to give up.

"Where is she!" she shouted, and it hurt my ears, and only then did I realize that Jesse's father was standing at the other side of the room. My hands clenched into fists. So this was all _his_ doing?

_That damn… if I ever get my hands around his throat…_

Mr. Woods laughed a little, and looked away from the piece of glass he had been examining, which now that I look closer at it, had blood on it. My blood started to boil, and Angel put a reassuring hand on my arm.

_They haven't noticed us yet. Wait a little longer._

"Why, I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about."

Max snarled and struggled even harder. "Bastard! Just tell me where the hell you took her!"

"Now now, everything had been working out nicely until your friends decided to ruin our game." Mr. Woods smiled sadistically, taking a step forward. I also went to take a step forward, but Angel held me back, shaking her head.

_A little longer._

I growled quietly.

"GOD-DAMMIT! TELL ME WHERE MY DAUGHTER IS OR I SWEAR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Max screamed, struggling as hard as she could, but her struggles were to no avail. The parents must be white coats, used to dealing with experiments, therefore able to hold on to them. Plus Max hasn't released her full potential, so she isn't as strong as she could be. Still, I didn't understand why Angel wasn't letting me go in there and get Max.

_We might get information. Just be patient. This is Max, she can handle this._

I scowled but knew she was right. I was a little amused however, that they had not yet noticed us. But they were caught up in their fight, so I guess it made sense. If we waited just a bit longer, then maybe we could find out a little something about exactly what happened.

Mr. Woods didn't even look the least bit afraid of Max's threat. In fact, he looked rather amused.

"Are you now? You know where she is, Max. Think hard. Think very, very hard." He said, with that evil smile on his face. There was this glint in his eye, a glint that said he enjoyed watching her struggle, he knew she had no idea where Emmy was, and not knowing was painful, and he enjoyed that. It made me want to kill him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm trying to think, I really am, but I honestly don't know! Just tell me!" she cried, her anger starting to fade, desperation starting to fill its place. Her struggles became less prominent as her face was flooded with anxiety, desperation, fear, love, hate; every emotion imaginable crossed her face as she all but begged the man standing in front of her to tell her the location of her only family member.

And still I did not move. I don't know why, but the hand Angel rested on my arm kept me from moving, kept me rooted in place. And beside me, everyone else stood still. Watching, waiting.

"And what would be the point of that Max? Why would I tell the location of my treasure which I have hidden? Why would I set up a game, only to give away the prize? Why would I waste precious time deleting your past, to have you remember it all? Why Max? Why?" Confusion flashed across Max's face. That last question had nothing to do with Emmy, or locations, or anything.

Max faltered. Her head bowed, defeated. "I don't know." She muttered. "I don't know."

"Of course you don't, you chose not to know. This is all your fault. You chose not to know, and now you've chosen to try and remember. Remembering takes away those you got by forgetting. You got the little girl by forgetting. Keep forgetting. Keep forgetting and you can have her back. Remember, and you never see her again. Remember, and she's gone." Mr. Woods said, now standing directly in front of Max. He lifted her chin up with a finger, forcing her to look at him, and I fought everything in me to stay where I was.

_He could give something away. He could give something away… A little longer…_

"How do you think little Emmy would feel, to know her mother figure chose to leave her behind?" he murmured.

Max let out a low growl, and met his stare with her hard eyes.

"I will not leave her behind. If I choose to remember, I'm taking her with me. And an asshole like you is going to do nothing to stop me. So get your filthy hands off of me and tell me where you've hidden Emmy." Max said, in the lowest, deadliest voice I had ever heard her use. Each word was practically dripping with venom. A few seconds ago she was the defeated Max, and now she stood there, yes captured, but pissed off and every bit as determined as the Max I knew.

Mr. Woods stepped away from her, looking only slightly ticked off.

"I'm sure you know the place like the back of your hand. Or you would, except you don't remember." He mocked. If she could look any angrier, then she did.

_Angel, may I please step in now?_

_She hasn't been hurt while we've been here, they've only been arguing. In fact, Mrs. Woods hasn't even said a thing, only Mr. Woods and Max have been at it. I think it's relatively safe to say it's okay to watch, for now._

I sighed inaudibly, really wanting to go in and bash someone's head in. But she was right. Let Max deal with this.

"I will remember, and when I find Emmy, if you have hurt her in any way, I _will_ kill you." She threatened coldly, her eyes hardening even more. I knew that look. It was the look the entire Flock had come to know, the one that said 'I have set my mind on something, and I promise to see it through.'

"You're not going to be able to do that." Mr. Woods said, suddenly procuring a gun seemingly from midair. He aimed it straight at Max's head and I saw her visibly blanch. Angel's hold immediately fell away and I knew she was saying that he was giving all the information he wanted to give, go ahead. I knew she knew I didn't need her permission to lend a hand.

"Go!" I shouted, and 5 bird kids rushed into the room. The three of them looked up, obviously having been oblivious to us, which is still hard to believe, as we rushed in. But the gun didn't lower, and just as I went to reach for Max, a shot sounded out, loud in my ears. I heard the bullet make contact.

"_Max…" _

**So for those who weren't really paying attention, Max has sort come to terms with who she is, despite not remembering much. So it is now back to Max's POV. So… Max's POV**

"I will remember, and when I find Emmy, if you have hurt her in any way, I _will_ kill you." I threatened coldly, my eyes hardening more than I thought they ever could. This bastard had the nerve to take my Emmy away, and the nerve to tell me I knew where she was, and even the nerve to tell me I would never find her!

"You're not going to be able to do that." Mr. Woods said, suddenly procuring a gun seemingly from midair. He aimed it straight at my head and I felt myself pale. I certainly couldn't find Emmy with a bullet through my head, now could I? But how was I going to get out of this one?

"Go!" I heard, and from the entry way to the kitchen, Fang and everyone came running in. Had they been there all this time? How had I not noticed them?

Despite the sudden interference, the gun didn't lower. I saw Fang reach out for me at the same time as I heard a gunshot. Slowly my brain processed exactly what happened, and as if I were in some lame action movie, I watched everything happen painstakingly slow.

Nudge and Iggy rushed at Senor Psychopath, trying to knock the gun from his hands. He shot it before they got him to drop it, but they managed to throw off his aim, though it was still heading in my direction. I could see the bullet traveling towards me, and I couldn't get away. Then I felt my hands be released, as Gazzy and Angel fought off the creep's wife. But still, the bullet had been fired, it was still coming towards me, too fast for me too dodge.

And then, someone was standing to front of me. Someone was protecting me. I heard the bullet make contact, and stood frozen as I watched the bullet reappear, making a clean exit. It passed right by my arm, but I paid it no more attention. Fang fell to one knee, a hand over the spot where the bullet had gone through. I continued to stand there, completely still, in shock, numb.

"Max…"

That snapped me out of whatever daze I had been in. I looked down at the guy who had just taken a bullet for me. He was emotionless as ever, but he had shut his eyes, and I knew that was his way of saying he was in pain. I kneeled down beside him placing a hand on his shoulder, and he opened his eyes to meet mine, and I saw the pain in them, but also relief. He had been shot, and he was still relieved that I was okay.

"You… were shot…" I whispered. He grimaced, as if saying, 'duh.'

"You were shot…for me…" I couldn't stop what I did next. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug, forgetting for a moment about Emmy, about Jesse's parents, about everything. The guy in my arms had risked his life, to save my own.

I felt him wince, though I did feel him also try to hide it. Suddenly it clicked. I pulled back from the hug and looked down at his wound, then back up at his face.

"YOU IDIOT! You could've died! What am I supposed to do with a dead person on my conscious, huh? How's that supposed to make me feel, to know you died saving me! Didn't you even think about the guilt you could've caused, or the grief? Did you think AT ALL? Idiot! You are an IDIOT!" I exclaimed, resisting the urge to smack him. Fang looked at me, the shock evident on his face.

"Max, leave the kid alone. He's shot for heaven's sake." Iggy told me and I muttered a few choice words at him. Then I looked back down at Fang.

"You're losing a lot of blood. We have to stop the blood flow soon. The bullet didn't hit any major tissue, or it wouldn't have come out so fast. I think it went clean through, not hitting anything important. Well I mean, aside from you of course." I realized what I had side and blushed slightly, and despite his obvious injured state, Fang smirked.

Again I resisted the urge to hit the injured guy.

"Gazzy toss me your sweatshirt." He tossed it to me. Only now did I look up to realize Mr. and Mrs. Crazy were unconscious on the floor. Serves them right.

I crumpled the sweatshirt up and pushed it down as hard as I could on Fang's wound, which had grazed through his side. He closed his eyes as I applied pressure and I felt no sympathy. He was the one who jumped in front of me.

"Idiot." I muttered.

"You know you're grateful." I smiled. I was. I was very grateful. Maybe I couldn't remember much, maybe I barely wanted to be this Max, maybe I hardly understood anything about well anything, but this guy, this…Fang, had jumped in front of a bullet for me. I was, at the very least, grateful.

**Me: So it's not exactly a cliffy, but Emmy **_**is**_** missing, so I think that does count. And in case there's any confusion, Mr. Woods was NOT the guy at the end of the last chapter. He is however related to him. Now you surely should all get it. But sorry, no previews anymore. And don't tell our characters who it is, it'll ruin the story. Some nice cute faxness there and some action. My plotline is moving along nicely now. Just so you know I didn't actually plan on shooting Fang, I was just typing, and it happened. Don't kill me. OH and thanks for all the reviews. I loved them! **

**Rebbie: OH shut up and get to the point. Basically, review again. This time you don't get a prize. **

**Me: That's not gonna make people want to review… But please do!**


	22. My Lion Is An Angel

**Me: Hello everyone! My vacation is going very well. I'm a tad sunburned on the face but aside from that I feel refreshed. My internet connection is very sucky so I'm not sure if this chapter will get up during my vacation, or shortly thereafter. But I decided since I have few good internet moments, to work on my next chapter as I left you guys with a fairly decent suspense/action chapter, if I do say so myself. **

**Rebbie: Hahaha I managed to escape unsunburned. Of course that's because I'm left to guard the computer all day…**

**Me: quit the complaining, you do a very nice job. Now, to the chapter.**

**Rebbie: Did you just compliment me…?**

**Max's POV**

I looked around the room. Everything was clean, almost too clean. The room looked like it belonged to an almost-4-year old, though something about it wasn't quite right.

I walked past the white bureau, trailing my fingers across the top, sitting down in the white rocking chair with the light blue cushion. I gazed around the room, taking in the little white bed with light blue sheets and a white comforter, a blue and white polka-dotted pillow at the head. There were a few random stuffed animals on the bed, such as the simple brown dog nestled beneath the covers. The small blue table next to the bed held a light blue lamp with white stars that would shine on the walls when the lamp was lit. Beside the lamp was a picture of me. I wasn't paying attention; instead I was smiling up at the sky with my eyes closed.

Across from me was the closet, shut tight, with a large poster of the constellations on the back of the door. Trailing over light blue walls were various hand drawn pictures, more pictures of me, and some paintings of landscapes. In the corner of the same wall of the closet sat a white toy chest, about three feet by three feet. The lid was barely on it, the toys peeking out. Next to it sat a white dollhouse, the dolls arranged in a certain way that it looked like it was on display in a toy store.

On the bureau next to me, pictures of smiling faces and fond memories stared at me, and another lamp sat, this one white. Beside the bureau, closest to the door, was a butterfly-shaped nightlight. Looking up at the ceiling, I saw a few glow-in-the dark stars and a large crescent moon strategically arranged over the bed.

Everything was as it should be. Everything was neat, everything was clean, everything looked fine. The room was in order. Nothing looked out of place. It looked as if a child had merely been told to pick up her toys, and had complied.

Except for the black teddy bear with a white ear that was sitting the middle of the white rug.

It seemed so out of place in the neat room, all blues and whites. This black teddy bear looked as if it had been dropped. And it might've been. It probably had been. Because I knew Emmy. Emmy would never have left willingly without Star.

I rocked back and forth on the chair, one knee drawn up under my chin. I stared at that teddy bear that was so out of place in Emmy's room. I dared it to stay, as if it could leave. It was taunting me. I glared at it with as much force as I could muster, knowing that nothing would come of it, but simply not caring. I didn't know if I should be angry at the bear, or depressed, for it had been left behind as a reminder instead of being left with my Emmy.

I rocked back and forth, a steady rhythm, finally settling on a sad look, filled with longing for something out of my reach.

I don't know how long I sat there, just rocking and gazing at the teddy bear, until I felt someone's presence. I don't know how long they had been standing there, and personally I don't think I cared. I didn't even look up as they stepped into the room.

"Max?" a little girl asked. Angel, my conscious dimly told me.

Almost unwillingly, I tore my gaze from the teddy bear. I met her concerned eyes with my own lost ones.

"Are you okay?" I could sense how much my state of being was worrying her, but I didn't really feel like doing anything about it. Couldn't she read my mind anyway?

Instead of answering, I brought my gaze back to the teddy bear. I felt Angel try to push her way into my head, but it was met with resistance. My emotions were too strong for her to handle, the depression putting up a barrier around my mind.

I heard her sigh and turn to leave. Shortly after, her footsteps returned, with another set of footsteps. My mind recognized them, telling me they should've been lighter than they were. It didn't feel like giving me a name, however, which was fine seeing as I didn't ask for one.

Suddenly the bear I had been gazing at disappeared. I looked up to see it resting in Angel's hands as she continued to give me that concerned stare. I half reached out for the bear silently, but Angel shook her head, denying me the only thing that tied me to Emmy.

Then someone was kneeling beside me, and I was wrapped in strong arms. The bear was hidden from view as I dropped the knee that was drawn back to the floor and wrapped my arms around Fang, returning the hug. I didn't notice the tears falling from my eyes until he started murmuring words of comfort.

I buried my head in his shoulder, crying silently. It felt odd to be receiving the comforting when he was the one who had been shot, but I didn't push him away.

"She's gone." I cried, tightening my hug, almost as if I feared everyone would vanish.

"We'll get her back." He whispered and though I wanted to believe him, doubt still pulled at my mind.

"I don't even know where she is. He said I did. He said I knew like the back of my hand. But this is the only place I've ever known and I just know she's not here. She's gone and I'm never getting her back." I told the shoulder with distress, the tears only falling harder. He said nothing, just tightened his hold.

After a few minutes, when the tears slowed, he pulled back and looked me in the eye. With one hand on my shoulder to keep me from collapsing and crying more, he used his thumb to wipe the tears from my cheeks.

"I promise you. We will get her back." I could do nothing but sniffle and nod, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Taking hold of the sincerity in his voice, I stood up with newly found courage, wiping away the remaining tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. I put forth my best determined smile, before glaring down at Fang.

"You're injured. You shouldn't have moved. I need you in the best condition if you're going to help me remember who I am so that I can find my daughter." I said sternly. He gave me one of those half smiles before taking a few moments to get to his feet.

I stalked out of the room and down the stairs, not even glancing towards the rest of the group as I headed to my car. They were searching for evidence in the house. As soon as Jesse's parents woke up, they disappeared. Like in the sense of a few minor distractions, some confusing crashes and bangs, a cloud of smoke, and then gone. No trace of them.

I hopped in my car, trying not to look in the back at Emmy's car seat. When I couldn't resist, however, the sight only made the anger I had been pushing aside in Emmy's room grow. I wanted my Emmy back, and I wanted her back now. I wanted to know she was safe, and that she was in my arms. I wanted her to know I was coming for her, and that I would never let anyone take her from me again. I wanted her to know I loved her. I just wanted my Emmy back.

However there was something I had to do first, someone I had to talk to. Though part of me was not looking forward to this meeting, the other part of me was filled with a desire to beat the hell out of the person who I just knew was waiting for me.

* * *

I knocked on the door rather patiently, rocking back and forth on the heels and soles of my feet, as a young child might do when bored. After a few moments, the door was opened revealing a strange appearance. Jesse smiled at me. He smiled! He doesn't do that, not unless he's really pleased or…he knows something.

"Jesse! How wonderful to see you this fine Saturday! Your mother requested a day with Emmy, so I decided to come spend some time with you. May I come in?" I asked. I knew I was being really creepy with my fake excitement, but he was being really fake with his happiness to see me, so we're even.

"Sure thing. My mom loves hanging out with Emmy." He replied, stepping back to allow me to enter his dorm. I took a few steps in, my hands behind my back, casually glancing around. I smiled up at him, and with that same fake tone started my half hidden interrogation.

"Have you talked to your mother or father recently?" I asked. He smiled and crossed his arms in defiance, knowing exactly what I was doing.

"Sadly I haven't. They've been busy with work, and apparently with Emmy." He said. My heart rate started beating a little faster and I couldn't help the slight narrowing of my eyes. He was lying.

"Oh, that's sad. Parents should be spending time with their kids. So what've you been up to today?" I asked, strolling into the small living room and sitting on his couch. He followed me to the living room, but leaned against the doorway, watching me carefully, that silly grin plastered on his face.

"I went for a little hike. Afterwards I came back here to chill out and watch some TV." My heart rate only picked up a little bit, which meant he was only lying somewhat. I doubted he was watching very much TV, for there was no lingering sound or feel of static in the air. So he must've gone for a hike, of some sort. So that was the part of his statement I had to question about.

"How was your hike?" I questioned. It was his turn for his eyes to slightly narrow at me.

"It was interesting. Slightly frustrating too. I ran into a few obstacles that I had to clear out of my way. I took care of it though." He said, and I couldn't miss the smugness in his voice.

What frightened me was the fact my heart rate didn't even pick up. He was telling the truth, however vague. He had run into a few obstacles, and he had taken care of them. Were those obstacles truly involving me though?

"What sorts of obstacles?" I asked, bracing myself for either a very vague or very blunt answer. I wasn't quite sure which I preferred at the moment.

He grinned at me, and still I felt myself fight back a flinch, unused to the silly show of emotion on the boy I 'grew' up with.

"Oh you know. Just a few birds, particularly a female one with broken wings, and her best friend who she seemingly can't remember. And of course there was that obnoxious young…thing… but that was easily gotten rid of." I was not expecting that answer, one both vague and blunt in words. And I realized I wasn't surprised when my heart rate stayed beating at its normal pace, showing he was telling the truth.

It stung to know the guy who had been by my side since we were young was responsible for my Emmy being taken. It stung to know he was behind everything. But what stung even more was that somewhere deep down, I had always known something wasn't right about him. How had he managed to be there at the exact moment I got lost on my first day here? Why was he always turning up whenever I was in need of him? Why did his parents immediately offer to take in Emmy when my grandmother died? How come he never asked what my illness was, but just took the bottle from my hands and placed it in his cabinets? Why was he so upset when he found out I had requested to be moved to a different class, one he didn't take, and couldn't take because his scores weren't good enough?

Because he was watching me. I think I had always known that. He had been following me around; he had been guarding me, not to protect me, but to keep me from figuring out who I really was. He always showed up whenever I need him, because he was always near me. He need Emmy at close range should anything happen to danger the project. And when Fang and the others showed up, and my memories started coming back, he started becoming more protective. I noticed that. At the sleepover, he slept awfully close to me. In school, he was never far behind me. In fact, he hardly let me out of his sight.

I had always felt deep inside that the guy standing before me was a traitor. But… I had loved him and so I had overshadowed my doubt to let him in, let him close to me.

And now Emmy was gone. Well I certainly screwed that one up.

I stood up, taking the few steps to close the distance between us. He pushed himself off the wall, looking down at me through his messy bangs. I returned his smug look with a glare of my own.

"I'm going to get Emmy back. I swear on my life, I will find her. If you choose to help me, I will spare your life. Go against me, and I can't promise what becomes of you from the mother's wrath. You have taken my trust, my friendship, my loyalty, everything, and thrown it away. I have no idea what Emmy means to you and whatever or whoever you work for, but I hope you're happy knowing you having taken a little girl from her only family member. So help me god, if she is hurt, I will not hesitate to kill you. If you do not help me, and Emmy is hurt, every ounce of pain she feels I will make sure is dealt double to you, by me personally. If our friendship means nothing to you, has honestly just been for show, you have 10 seconds to walk away before I beat the living hell out of you. I will not show mercy after your 10 seconds are up. I don't know who you are, but my Emmy is out there, and you will not stand in my way of finding her. 10." I stated coldly, with a soft, deadly malice that made even myself want to shrink away. Jesse only looked a tad fearful as he glanced from me to the door.

"9…" Another quick glance.

"8…7…6…5…4…" I continued, softly, deadly.

He gave me what seemed to be a pitying look before he turned and walked swiftly out the door, much to my dismay. He paused for a moment at the door as I stated 3.

"You're not her only family member." He muttered before tearing down the hall and out into the world, gone for who knows how long.

Silence followed as I stared at the spot he had been, shock radiating from my body. I knew her father, our father was out there. And her mother may be alive. But could it be with all these new revelations that our relatives were not actually, well, our relatives?

But could I even trust Jesse?

* * *

Later that night I was sitting on Emmy's bed in my dorm. Today had been one hell of a day, and I could easily say I never wanted to go through anything like it. But then again, something about it had felt right. The gun at my head and the fighting that had taken place today had felt so natural, almost second nature. As if it was completely normal for me to attack people with kitchen chairs in demands for a child. As if it was completely normal for me to feel enough rage to threaten the life of a once dear friend. As if it was completely normal that I was too anxious to fall asleep, terrified that if I did I would wake up forgetting about Emmy. I wouldn't put it past these people, so many strange things had already happened.

Sighing, I got up and pushed play on Emmy's adorable blue and white CD player, covered in delicately painted stars and butterflies. I listened to the hum as the CD of music I had recorded began to spin around, before gentle waves began to settle over me. The CD was meant to play while Emmy was falling asleep, and though it only had 15 songs on it, it would play on repeat. Some of the music were songs by real artists, redone by the band; while others were songs I had written and recorded with help from my computer and such.

The first song to play was Anyway originally by Martina McBride. It was one of Emmy's favorites. It sang of hope and perseverance, continuing on when everything was going against you. I smiled softly at the song. It was as if Emmy was encouraging me to find her.

The next few songs included Beautiful Disaster redone by myself, originally by Kelly Clarkson, and Don't Wake Me, done by our band, by Skillet. The first was another Emmy liked, because she thought it showed how people can be imperfect, and yet people will still love them, though they may have doubts. The second wasn't a favorite but she liked it because she felt the meaning in the song. I did too. The song really did have a certain sad quality. Emmy always told me that she felt bad for the people that songs sang for because their feelings were real, and sometimes they didn't have second chances. I must admit when she told me that I had to double check to make sure she hadn't matured into an adult in 5 seconds, but she was still 3 years old, talking with such understanding.

Listening to the music made my heart ache, but even as my finger hovered over the power button, I felt entranced by Emmy's CD, unable to turn it off. This was the music I had given her, the music that held meaning for her. Why couldn't she be here now, listening to this with me, like she always did on Saturday nights? What did I do wrong?

Something in the back of my mind told me it wasn't my fault. It told me that I did nothing wrong, in fact I was doing everything right. It began to tell me that the people at fault were Fang and his friends. They had shown up, and everything had gone hectic. I had been hit by a car, my medicine had been stolen (Fang had admitted to that), I'd had a crashing headache, strange memories resurfaced, I had visitors in my dreams, and now to top it all off, Emmy was missing. Before they had come, everything was perfect. My life was all I could imagine it to be. It was all I could have wanted, and quite possibly more. Sure I would've liked a mother, maybe a few more friends, but beggars can't be choosers.

It _was_ Fang's fault. His and Iggy's and Nudge's and Gazzy's and Angel's. They came here and screwed up my life. They messed with my life, and took the only thing that really mattered to me.

Fang. He was the leader, was he not? Of this stupid little group? What was his fascination with 'Max'? Why did he need me so much that he to come and ruin my life, just to fill his own selfish needs? And if he truly did need me as much as he claimed, why did it take him the two years he allegedly has been searching for me to actually get here? Certainly I'm more important than that? And why is he so afraid of me? I've noticed those looks, almost as if he's terrified to tell me who I am. You don't just show up here claiming to be someone from my past, and then withdraw, being all reluctant to tell me anything. Am I going to react badly? Is there some memory he doesn't want me to remember, a memory that is possibly bad enough for him to be frightened of my remembering it? Well then why on earth is he here trying to get me to remember? Can't he just go away? If I forget I can have Emmy back, wasn't that the agreement?

But Fang didn't _seem _bad! He seemed caring towards me, though his face was generally stoic and impassive. And the others seemed to openly trust him and accept him. He was so confusing; I just didn't know what to believe. He showed hardly any emotion, but his eyes always seemed to tell me exactly what he was feeling. I didn't know if the others could tell, but I could. And he _protected me!_ Would he have done that if he was the enemy? He was ruining my life, and yet he was sweet and gentle that I couldn't hate him for it! Plus he seemed to know everything about me, all my likes and dislikes, and all my quirky characteristics, and yet he accepted them without hesitation. I felt as if he was someone much greater than me, and yet he was no more different from me than Emmy. I was honestly and truly curious, I wanted to know all about him, but he terrified me. Who was he, to know about me in such a way, to care for me, to want to protect me without hesitation? And the way he gave me such courage today to stop my tears and give me hope that we would find Emmy was…mystifying at the least. He wanted to help me. Why would he help me, if he had meant to ruin my life?

Not to mention had easily I had believed him when he kissed me. He held that much power over me. He was…well I truly had no words for him.

I sat down angrily on the bed, deeply perplexed, the calming waves of music desperately trying to reach out and wash over me. The 14th song ended as my waves of anger were still pushing back against the soothing notes of music. Then the music clicked in my head, a song I had written and recorded by myself. It was one that had always brought on a nostalgic feeling, and also it was Emmy's all-time favorite song on the entire CD. The title was Lion. The first notes forced their way through my anger and confusion and doubt, and into my ears, calming me, soothing me, and relaxing me.

I closed my eyes and settled back onto Emmy's bed, singing gently along with the song.

**(I hadn't planned on putting this in here, but I heard it playing on my iPod and it fit so well to my story that I had to squeeze it in. I hope my context is okay. The song is Lion by Rebecca St. James. Please listen to it!)**

_Mysterious, that's what I call you  
I'm curious, about you  
I'm scared and I'm not sure that you are safe  
But your eyes seem to say that you are good_

_This is not a dream that I'm living,  
This is just a world of your own  
You took me from all that I knew  
Shown me how it feels to hope  
With you with me, facing tomorrow  
Together I can learn to fly  
Feels like I'm living in the Lion's mouth  
But the Lion is an Angel_

_Wise eyes, you see the core in me  
Your gentleness melts me  
And now I know that words cannot describe  
The power that I feel when I'm with you_

_This is not a dream that I'm living,  
This is just a world of your own  
You took me from all that I knew  
Shown me how it feels to hope  
With you with me, facing tomorrow  
Together I can learn to fly  
Feels like I'm living in the Lion's mouth  
But the Lion is…_

_Peace and Power  
Love forever  
Who am I to  
Stand before you?  
I am speechless  
But in my weakness  
You are here and  
All is well_

You took me from all that I knew  
Shown me how it feels to hope  
With you with me, facing tomorrow  
Together I can learn to fly  
Feels like I'm living in the Lion's mouth  
But the Lion is

_This is not a dream that I'm living,  
This is just a world of your own  
You took me from all that I knew  
Shown me how it feels to hope  
With you with me, facing tomorrow  
Together I can learn to fly  
Feels like I'm sitting in the Lion's mouth  
But the Lion is an Angel_

_Is an Angel_

The song ended, and as the CD player hummed a little as it got ready to start from the very beginning again, I sat, leaning up against the wall, on Emmy's bed. My mouth hung open just a tad, and my eyes were slightly widened as I heard the words from the song replay in my head, over and over again, drowning out the now playing song.

The lyrics fit so closely to a certain someone, which was very odd because I had written this nearly two and half years ago. Which was when Nudge had said the time flow of this area had slowed down to about normal… So could it be my mind had subconsciously remembered Fang, and this song was a way of it trying to tell me that there was a person out there meant for me? Which only sounded extraordinarily sappy, by the way. But nothing ruled out the fact that I had written this song, my subconscious holding Fang in place while the words were scrawled on paper.

And it wasn't even just to him the lyrics fit, it was my life style. Learning to fly, dreams I'm living in. It explained everything, in one short song. A short song I had written. Unbelievable.

And want to know what makes this even more unbelievable? The fact that the person who the song was unintentionally written about was, for some reason, standing in Emmy's doorway, staring at me with those eyes, which were in fact wise, and did in fact seem to look into my very core of existence. …I'm not sure how I feel about that.

"Uh hi?" I stammered out, still in a little shock.

"Your door was unlocked. Just came to check on you." He said, his eyes never straying from mine. I would like to say it was taking everything I had to stop myself from being rendered speechless.

"Oh. Right. Well I guess a 'Come on in' would be a little late. How long were you standing there?" I managed to squeak out, sounding far more nervous and girly than I had expected, and definitely more than I had ever hoped my voice would sound like.

"…long enough. Nice song." He said, the corner of his mouth pulling up into that half smile that I knew deep down I really liked. Though, it didn't calm my nerves.

"Ahaha, yeah… Um just to make sure we're on the same page, it was written about you. Though I just realized that now." I'm not even sure why I said that. Why did I say that? Really? Like, it just slipped out. He might not have even been thinking of the lyrics in the song, and there I go, telling him I wrote a song about him. Why did I SAY that?

To my relief, he just gave a small chuckle, surprisingly, and walked in to sit down beside me. "I kinda figured as much."

"Soo…"I said, sounding like a complete idiot. Which I was, at the moment.

"Right. I'm here for the night. You have no say." He stated with finality. I just sighed.

"I have no choice in the matter? Really? You walk in on a girl singing a song she wrote about you, not realizing it of course, and you proceed to tell her you're staying the night? Not to mention she just lost he favoritest person in the _whole_ world, and probably wants some alone time to mope around. And she didn't plan on sleeping tonight so if you really do want to stay, and do plan on giving her no choice, you have to be up for entertainment." I told him, completely aware I just spoke almost entirely third person.

Fang stared at me for a moment. "No choice. Go to bed." He ordered. I resisted the urge to smack him, settling on the much less effective, but still fun sticking-out-of-the-tongue technique.

"Fine fine, I'll go to bed. What about you? You were _shot_ today! You're going to bed too! If I can't stay up and have fun, you can't either!" I exclaimed. He just shook his head.

"Whatever you say. Now bed." He stated. Again the tongue got stuck out.

"I'm in bed. In fact, you're in my way. Move." I demanded, shoving him gently off Emmy's bed, before crawling beneath the covers. he stared at me for a second, and I could see him contemplating whether or not he should make me move to my bed, but he settled on letting me stay here.

He turned to leave, obviously going somewhere else in this dorm to sleep, when I got a sudden rush of fear and loneliness.

"Fang?"I called out softly. He turned his head towards me.

"Stay? Just until I fall asleep. And promise me you'll be here tomorrow morning. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up and forget everything I've remembered so far." I murmured quietly. I was a little surprised to see the gentle smile the lighted Fang's face before he sat down on the bed next to my head. Leaning up against the headboard, he pushed a few strands of hair from my face.

"I'll be here." And knowing that he would, I easily drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Me: Okay so Fang might've been a little OOC at the beginning and towards the end. but he was with a depressed Max. He loves her, duh, and what do you do when the one you love is distressed? Um, comfort them! Duh! Its common sense, even impassive people have a soft side. Plus, in the second book, there's that whole Max freaking out because she saw her reflection and it was an Eraser, and then Fang was all sweet and comforting, so I used that as a sort of inspiration. SO maybe he isn't really ooc. So THERE!**

**Rebbie: You get way too into your defenses. Anyways, this chapter was a little jumpy in my opinion, but had some really good points that I admired.**

**Me: Um, thank you? Reviews! Oh how I love wonderful reviews, even if they tell me I suck! Oh okay, maybe not so much then, but I do like reviews!**


	23. Trust Your Instincts

**Me: Sorry it's been a little while. School literally started two weeks ago, and it's like they didn't bother waiting to jump right in with ridiculous amounts of work. Plus I've had all the first meetings of the year for the clubs and stuff to get out of the way, and all the college kids are gone from my work, so I've picked up so many extra shifts. Not complaining on that last one, but it does take away more me time. And my new kitten is a freakin spaz. But that's beside the point.**

**Rebbie: Anyways, we're back with the next chapter, after her complaining, and you will wait no longer. **

**Me: Gah. You ruined my happy mood. **

**Rebbie: Since when are you in a happy mood?**

**Me: Since before you ruined it.**

**Max's POV**

"Um, okay, so… Now what?"

I glanced around the room. We were, once again, in the living room of Fang and his group's apartment. He had promised me we would get Emmy back, and after I had woken up in Emmy's bed this morning to see he had at least kept his promise of staying with me through the night, I was sure he'd keep this one. But the farthest we had gotten after leaving my dorm was coming here and sitting in silence for 15 minutes.

Super productive, right? I thought so too.

"Well, Jesse's dad said that you knew the place like the back of your hand." Iggy recalled, somewhat helpfully.

"Well that's not exactly specific. I know this entire town like the back of my hand. And I can feel when she's close by, it's sort of like how I can tell someone's lying. So she's not in this town. He wouldn't have kept her here anyway. Something about Jesse's tone of voice confirmed that." Quickly I bit my tongue, not realizing what I had said until after I said it. I mean, they had suspicions I had visited Jesse, but they all passed them off, hoping I was smart enough to stay away from him.

I watched as they all looked over at me. I smiled lightly shaking my head.

"Nothing happened. He was as vague as vague can get. I delivered a pretty decent threat if I do say so myself, and he seemed pretty scared. We shouldn't be seeing him too soon." I told them, leaving out the part where I half offered to let him be my friend again. If you can count not killing him in return for Emmy's whereabouts being friends again.

I think I still loved him, despite what he had done. It was hard not to, I had grown up beside him. Even though he had taken away Emmy, or at least been responsible, he was still one of my best friends. It may have been fake for him… but it was completely real to me.

"Right. Okay. Moving on. So, Max. Um. Well since you're positive Emmy isn't in this town, and this town is all you've ever really known, then we have to think of somewhere that it could be. Oh wait! He said it was somewhere you knew like the back of your hand, if you could remember! SO it's not what you know now, it somewhere that you know as Max, not as Sam. But that's a problem because there are a few places that it could be…"Nudge trailed off.

We all stared at here as she looked up at the ceiling, a finger placed casually on her chin. She then looked down from the ceiling and smiled at us, shrugging.

Suddenly Gazzy jumped up from couch. "Nudge! You're a genius!"

"I know. But…um…why, exactly?"

"What's the one place we all know the best? Max wouldn't remember it because it's the place that took away her memories! That's why Mr. Woods kept taunting her about remembering, because if he's a white coat, then it's partially his fault." Gazzy exclaimed.

"The School. Duh." Iggy said disbelievingly.

"I can't believe we didn't even consider that." Fang muttered.

"Well, we _were_ trying to think of places Max would know. She doesn't remember The School." Angel commented. The others nodded in agreement.

I looked back and forth between them all. For a moment, I think they forgot I was sitting there with them, completely clueless as to what they were talking about. Okay, great. Let's all talk about a place that exists outside the realm of my world. Thank you. I'll be sure to visit there sometime. Road Trip!

I shook my head from my random musings. "Great. So you figured it out. Care to tell me where she is now?" I asked. I watched as they shared worried glances.

"Well it's called The School…" Gazzy started.

"Yeah I got that."

"Basically it's this horrible place that takes normal kids and makes them into things. Like us, we were there and that's where we got our wings. Sometimes the experiments totally don't work and they don't care, they just let the kids die, which can be agonizing…like these fish/lizard things. OH but you wouldn't remember them… they were in the cage next to you one time we got captured. Anyways they do horrible experiments on the ones that survive, like to see how long they can run, or how long they can fight and how strong they are. Or they inject funny things into them. Or even do strange operations. That's how Iggy became blind, because of them. They don't care at all. And we escaped, with the help of one white coat. You don't like him very much. That's another long story… Anyways. It's in Death Valley, California. Fitting right? But that's the most probable place where they'll be holding Emmy. Uh… did I leave anything out?" Nudge rambled. She spoke a bit too fast, but everyone shook their heads gravely, indicating that she had covered everything worth knowing.

"Okay. Just…okay. When do we leave?" I asked. If we knew where Emmy was, what was the point in waiting around? If this place was truly horrible, then I couldn't even begin to imagine how terrified Emmy was. They'd better pray she isn't in pain.

"About that. If we flew there, we could get there in I'd say a day, giving us time to rest and such. However, you have no wings. You can't fly there. I can't carry you the entire way; it would be too much, even for me." Fang said quietly.

I sat there staring at him for a few moments, his words sinking in.

"You don't mean you're going to wait until my wings grow back? What if they don't? Can't we just take a cab?" I said desperately. We knew where Emmy was, and he was telling me I couldn't go get her. Is he for real?

"It's too conspicuous. We're probably being watched very carefully. We'd be tailed so easily too, even attacked. Flying limits those chances." Angel said matter-of-factly. I stared at her incredulously, though I had no choice but to believe her. She _was_ more experienced in this sort of thing then I was.

Hearing that, she smiled sadly.

"So, we know where she is. Max, we'll give you lessons in being Max, and we'll hope you're wings grow back soon. If they're not back soon… we'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, just carry on as if nothing has happened." Fang stated.

I nodded numbly. I never wanted wings so much in my life.

**Monday Morning, aka, the next day**

"Sam?" a voice said from behind me.

I jumped and looked up to see Mr. Haley watching me with a concerned yet amused expression.

"Oh. Sorry, did you say something?" I asked.

It was Monday morning art class, and we were sitting outside enjoying the spring weather, drawing whatever. I was perched on my rock beneath my tree, as always. And, as always, I was completely spaced out, drawing absolutely nothing.

Mr. Haley let out a quiet laugh. "No, nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were drawing something, is all."

I looked down at my empty paper. "Of course. Don't you see the invisible boy giving an invisible bone to his invisible golden retriever?"

Mr. Haley peered at my paper and smiled, nodding and murmuring his compliments on my work. We were silent for a moment before we both started chuckling quietly. My invisible artwork was just that awe-inspiring.

"I've been watching you all class, and you seem a little out of it today. Is there anything you need to talk about?" He asked.

I gave a small, very unconvincing smile, and shook my head. "I'm just tired. I have a big test coming up and I was up late studying last night." I lied easily.

Mr. Haley stared at me for a few moments, and it was very creepy. I half expected him to suddenly pounce and try to claw me to shreds. But he just smiled. "I understand. School can be very difficult."

I nodded and looked back down at my invisible artwork. I must have zoned because I blinked and realized my hand hurt. I must have drawn something. Luckily my paper was tilted away from Mr. Haley, who I realized hadn't moved, and was still staring at me.

"Can I help you?"

"I haven't seen Emmy recently. How's she doing?" He asked genuine concern on his face. I felt myself go completely still.

"She's doing fine. Pre-school is keeping her busy." I said, giving a shaky laugh. He nodded at me, but I looked down at my paper, my pencil hovering over the center.

"I see. Well, make sure you watch her. Wouldn't want anything happening to her, right Max?" I nodded, still looking at my paper. Something was written on it. As I heard my art teacher walk away, I sat up completely straight, a chill running down my back.

Mr. Haley called me Max. And he seemed to know that Emmy was in trouble. Plus, there was also the thing my conscious had had me draw.

TRUST was scrawled in big, ragged letters across the paper, a giant X going through it. The pencil had been pushed down hard, as if my subconscious was trying to warn me very hard that I shouldn't trust the father figure of my life.

Don't worry, mind, I already don't. How on earth did he know my name was Max?

Later that night, there was a knock on my door. Assuming it to be Fang or one of the group, I immediately answered it. However, it was a surprise visitor, and not a good one.

"Do you _want_ me to kill you?" I asked. Jesse shifted from foot to foot.

"Not particularly, which is sort of why I'm here. I thought about what you said… and well I'm gonna help you." He said. I stared at him blankly. He had got to be joking.

"You are not serious."

"I am serious. I assume you figured out she's at the School. I bet, however, my little relatives comment has been bugging you. I also know guard codes and names, and where in the building she'll be. Face it, I'm useful."

He had me there. Last night I fell asleep dreaming about faceless people coming to take Emmy away because they were some distant relative. And he would be useful getting in and out of the building, and it would save us time if we knew where she was, instead of mindlessly searching for her.

"How do I know you're not going to just turn us over when we get there?" I asked.

"I won't. Your heartbeat stayed the same, didn't it." It was a statement, not a question. He knew I could tell if he was lying, and he knew I knew he wasn't. He wouldn't turn us over. For some strange reason, he really wanted to help.

"Why?" I asked. Jesse tilted his head, which I now realized was beanie cap-less.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to help? Weren't you part of the reason she's gone?" I questioned, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I wasn't sure if it was the reminder that Emmy was gone, or that the guy I had loved was responsible. Jeez. I'm such a crybaby.

"Can I just come in? I'll explain everything inside, not in the hallway." I sniffled, and nodded. He had a fair point.

I moved aside, letting him enter my dorm. He slid past me and moved to my living room. I tried to hold my breath as he walked by, because he smelled so good. I didn't want my feelings for him interrupting my common sense. I sat down across from him in my recliner, and stared at him, waiting for him to start. He averted his eyes, staring at my coffee table.

"So. Well I was raised in The School. I'm normal. My parents are scientists. When they heard about your memories being erased and you being turned back into a baby, and the time flow of this area being shifted, all for an experiment, they wanted in. They became the head scientist for this procedure. So they made me go through the procedure to get reduced to baby age as well, so I would grow up to be with you and to get you to trust me. From the second I could understand my mission, I was learning how to deceive you. I wanted you to like me. I wasn't in class that day, because I needed to meet you underneath that tree. I needed to meet you; I needed to be your first friend, the one you trusted most. I needed to be the one you fell in love with. That was how I was raised the second time around in this area, much like you were re-raised not to have wings or remember anything. I however, remember everything from before. I didn't like you at first, so staying quiet was easy. I had nothing to say. I didn't want to talk to you, but so long as I was near you, it was enough. You seemed to like that though, because that's how Fang is, even though you didn't remember. I was jealous, because even though you didn't know, you could easily have chosen to remember, and gotten your wings back. I could never have wings, my parents refused to let them operate on me. However, my memories also reminded me of the experiments I saw at the School, and I felt bad for you. This is why I started to actually feel things for you." He paused, and crystal blue eyes, the eyes I loved so much, they met mine. I almost gasped at the emotion that I saw in them.

"You were here of your own free will, and yet this was just one of the many experiments you had undergone. I knew of many of the tests you were put through, and that's why I was so overprotective. And then you got Emmy. I knew who Emmy was. I had heard my parents speak of her, long before she existed, even before you lost your memories. I knew who she was, before you introduced us. You liked her so much, and so I vowed to protect her too. But the next part of my mission came to play. If the Flock ever came around, and you started to remember, it was my job to make either keep them away, or take away Emmy. Emmy is vital in Itex's plans. And since you started befriending them, and your feelings for Fang overtook your feelings for me, I had to choose. I had to send out the order that Emmy was to be taken away. As long as you were Sam, Emmy could be safe. The more Max you became, the more danger you put her in. Of course, you didn't know that. You just wanted to know what was going on, who these people are, why you had memories and feelings for them." He shrugged, though I heard sadness in his voice.

"I loved you. I wasn't supposed to, but I did. And it hurt me to hurt you, and Emmy. But I promised my parents, and so I did what I was supposed to. It was what I was trained to do all my life. It had been drilled into my head since my re-raising. It also didn't help that my jealousy over your reuniting with Fang got in my way. You would leave me if you remembered. Maybe if I could get you to choose to forget and get Emmy back, you'd stay with me. But you still wanted to remember. And I still wanted to protect you. I don't want you to go back to the experiments and the dangerous life of living on the run. I want you to stay here, where it's safe. But I know that you're going to go chase down Emmy as soon as you get the chance. You always did exactly what you needed to do." He said, giving a slight chuckle.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes as I let his words sink into me. So he knew who I was. He knew I had wings… he just knew everything. And he sounded so sincere. Every time he mentioned how he had to hurt me or do something he didn't want to, he would clench his fists, or squeeze his eyes tight and look away. I felt….sorry for him. He didn't want to do this, but it was his life. I felt a tear trail from my eye.

I stood up and walked over to the couch and knelt beside Jesse, wrapping my arms around him and resting my cheek on his shoulder. I felt him go stiff; probably thinking I was going to strangle him or something. I might've, had this been anybody else.

"I forgive you." I whispered, tears slowly leaking from the corners of my eyes. One dropped onto his shoulder and he pushed me back gently.

"Don't cry. Please don't cry." He murmured. I nodded and smiled. I wiped the tears from my eyes and stood up.

"Oh I just have one question. What was that thing about Emmy's relatives?" I asked. Jesse blanched.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you that now…" he trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

"It's alright, whatever it is, I'm sure I can handle it. It's not like I didn't know she might've had actual relatives out there somewhere. Perhaps an aunt, or even a full brother or sister?"

Jesse sighed. "It's actually something like that." I got excited and sat down abruptly on the couch next to him.

"So is it her brother? A sister? Her father?"

"Umm… her father." He muttered. I felt like a five year old who wasn't allowed to know where the cookies were,

"Okay, but I knew that." He glanced at me, debating whether or not he should tell me the next part.

"Your father is not Emmy's father. Your father is Emmy's grandfather." He said, giving into my pleading stare. It felt like old times, when I could coax him into anything.

"Which means…" I said, thinking things over in my head. I was slightly confused. I didn't have any siblings who could have had Emmy.

Jesse was silent, but he was giving me that "Dumb blonde" look. After I apparently didn't get it, he sighed in frustration.

"Emmy's your daughter!" he cried.

I laughed. "I already knew that. It's on the birth certificate and in the will." Jesse growled.

"No, she's actually your daughter. By blood."

My laughter faded slowly as I realized he wasn't joking. I stared at him in disbelief, and he stared back nodding.

"She was made using your DNA and another person's DNA. So she's like, a test tube baby. But she's yours."

I continued to stare at him. He couldn't be serious. Things like that just didn't happen, especially not with Emmy. But, I have seen people with wings. And I did get turned back into a baby and set into an area with altered time flow…

"…if that's…true… Who's the dad?" I questioned quietly, still trying to digest what I had just learned.

"I'll give you three guess, and the first two don't count." Jesse said dryly. I met his eyes, and he nodded.

I jumped off the couch and rushed out the door, grabbing my keys off the counter and nearly tripping over the little bump in the doorway. On my way down the stairs I whipped out my cell phone.

It rang a few times and nobody picked up. Angrily I hit redial.

"Come on, pick up, pick up!" I muttered, rushing out the door and to my car, keys in hand.

Finally the line clicked through and a voice picked up on the other line.

"Fang? I'm coming over. We need to talk, alone." I said quickly, before shutting the phone, hopping in the car, and backing out of the parking lot, my tires spraying up dust and rocks as I sped off towards his apartment.

**Me: So Jesse's not that bad. Mr. Haley is evil, but we don't know why. Emmy is Max's biological daughter (something I've had planned since before the story began, so don't shoot me, unless you predicted it). It was kind of obvious as to who the father was. Test tube baby! Keep that in mind! It's not the reason for the argument, Max getting pregnant and what not. I don't believe in those stories, though I will read them if they seem good.**

**Rebbie: Review!**

**Me: No snide comments?**

**Rebbie: I'm tired.**


	24. Is It Enough?

**Me: Keeping it short and sweet. So I wrote a one shot called Green is the New Black. Check it out. Also, if you read Inuyasha, a manga/anime, I have a new story called Torn With Time to check out. 'Tis all.**

**Rebbie: I've really got nothing to add today. To the chapter. Wait pause. You read the genre categorization, correct? Okay, good. You're prepared then.**

**Me: Wow way to ruin to suspense.**

**Max's POV**

Silence.

That's what I was sitting in right now.

Not that that was any different than usual. I often sat in silence. It was a favorite pastime of mine, for it allowed time to think and write new songs. However those silences were warm, often comforting, gentle, and well you get the point. Those silences never made me fidget endlessly. Those silences never made me want to claw out my eyes and rip out every strand of hair one by one, just to make sure I wasn't dead and could still feel. Those silences never made me want to bang my head repeatedly on the nearest wall. Those silences never made my thoughts race so incoherently, so fast I could barely follow what my _own_ mind was thinking. In those silences, I was always alone.

In _this_ silence, my left knee was bouncing up and down at a record-breaking pace and my eyes were darting from here to there to over there to back here and everywhere. In _this_ silence, I was digging my nails into the palms of my hands to both assure myself that I wasn't dreaming and to keep myself from slamming my head endlessly into the whitest wall I had ever seen, which could not have possibly been that white the last time I had seen it. In _this _silence, my thoughts went from one topic to the next so fast, I barely knew how the two thoughts were interconnected, and why I was even thinking half the things I had in my head. In _this_ silence, I was waiting for the person sitting across from me to look up from where his head lay resting in his hands, in obvious distress and confusion, to tell me what I should do.

Because I honestly didn't know.

Finally, finally his eyes rose to meet mine, and when they did, I felt my knee steady, my hands relax, and my eyes remain where they were. On his.

"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked for what had to be the seventh time.

"Yeah. Jesse was telling the truth. And she… well she looks like you, which is why I feel stupid for not noticing earlier." And she did. She had his hair, and her skin was darker than mine, though not as dark as his (although, to outsiders, it would be a little hard to tell the difference). She even had certain facial structures, like the shape of her nose, and how her cheek bones were prominent, but not overbearing, and added just enough shape to her face, that were similar to his.

"You weren't looking earlier." For some reason that brought me comfort. I smiled a very small smile.

We returned to our former silence, only this time his eyes were resting on mine and I could see the emotions twisting in them, clearer than I could feel my own. He was confused, much as I was, on how this happened and why neither of us noticed or knew about it. He was also pissed, which, and I felt guilty for feeling as such at a time like this, made me extremely happy, because I knew he truly cared for her. There was also a little regret, because I had gotten to watch her grow up and I had taught her everything, and he just found out. There was sadness, mostly for the same reason, but I felt as if that weren't entirely it.

"Will you…I know this will sound stupid because it doesn't seem like you at all, but I have to ask. When we get her back, you will stick around, right? I mean most teenage guys, if they're handed a kid and told it's theirs they'd be all like 'Nope, you can have it. Kid? What's that?' So you'll stay, right?" I sort of rushed at him. He stared at me, looking almost bewildered.

"You're joking, right? Of course I'm going to stay." I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding, and gave a relieved smile.

He gave a gentle, reassuring half smile back, and I calmed a little more. "You'll catch me up on everything I missed?" he asked.

It was my turn to reassure him. "Duh. You're gonna need to know these things. By the way, her first word was dragon. Don't ask, I don't know where she learned it." He gave me an odd look but I shrugged it off.

For the third time, we plunged into silence, this one less tense, but uncomfortable all the same. My eyes remained focused on his as we waited for the other to say something. However, the silence drug on as neither spoke. My thoughts wandered away, speeding up and beginning to slip from my control as I fought to keep them off of her.

"What now?" I asked quietly, breaking the silence as my fidgeting threatened to take hold again. If we didn't do something soon, I was afraid we never would.

"Things are still the same as before, only now we have a more desirable need to get to her."

"That's not good enough." I knew he heard the warning tone in my voice, but he chose to ignore it.

"It has to be. Right now… it's all we can do." He told me, softly. I knew, had this been a different scenario, they would have already gone in, gotten the kid, and been done with it. But because I needed to come, because I was supposedly the Leader, because I was one of them; we had to wait.

It was my fault, and that was killing me. it was my fault she was gone, my fault we couldn't get her. My fault for getting rid of my memories, just my fault for everything!

I would have been content to wallow in my own self-pity for a few more minutes, hours, hell maybe even days, but the hair on the back of my neck had risen. And it wasn't just because of a certain someone who was in close proximity. No, this was just like what happened with Emmy and the car. Someone was in danger. Someone close to me. I had been near them recently, or else I wouldn't have felt this as strongly as I did.

Without realizing I had moved, I was standing by the window, staring blankly through the clear glass in the direction of my dorm. It was dark outside, so I could see little aside from what the moon and the flickering streetlamps illuminated. I placed a hand against the cold window pane and the feeling of dread magnified, causing my head to spin. I barely felt Fang's hand on my shoulder, hardly heard him asking if I was alright.

All I saw was a little butterfly fly past the window, its wings glittering with surreal beauty, looking almost metallic in moonlight.

Suddenly I was flying across the room, jumping over the couch, rushing past Fang, narrowly avoiding crashing into a door as I threw it open in haste. I flew outside to my car, and barely had the door closed before I sped off towards my dorm, desperate to get to it as soon as possible.

Jesse was going to die if I didn't.

* * *

The lack of light as I pulled into my dorm's parking lot disturbed me greatly. So did the lack of cars. The rational side of me was saying "Chill. He's probably sound asleep in his own dorm." The irrational, instinctive, and most often correct side of me was telling the other side to shut up. I was listening to that side as I took the steps to my dorm two at a time.

The door was wide open, and I didn't have to enter to know that I would not find a person inside. I turned and sprinted back down the hallway and down to the second floor, tripping over my own feet. Instead of landing a soft knock on Jesse's door as I had planned, my knock was turned into a push. Normally, this would have steadied me. However, his door slid open with ease.

The state of his dorm reminded me much of the state of his parents' house after our quarrel and my kitchen after numerous baking attempts. There were scorch marks on walls, broken furniture, unrecognizable pieces of things strewn about, stuffing laying in piles here and there, broken glass laying in heaps waiting to be stepped on; even something that looked suspiciously like claw marks raking down the back of his front door. What scared me the most, however, was the trail of blood leading to the fire escape that every dorm has in the bedroom. It's just a simple ladder, but still.

Shaking, I walked with slow, uneven steps over to the window that led to the fire escape, wincing every time something crunched beneath me. I cursed mentally because I was, again, in a silence that was not my usual silence. With trembling hands, I heaved myself over the window sill and onto the ladder, praying I didn't slip due to my mental stability at the moment, or lack thereof.

When I reached the ground, thankfully unscathed, I turned around and had to stifle a gasp. Lying on the ground in a bloody heap was the sweatshirt Jesse had been wearing that afternoon. I walked over to it slowly, to find it was ripped into three separate pieces. I could barely even tell what color it was supposed to be anymore thanks to the still wet blood blending into it. Looking away, I started running, following the drops of the red substance I was only too ready to believe I was hallucinating.

And there he was.

I knew before I came close enough to tell. I knew before I saw the blood pooling around his chest. I knew before I saw his eyes staring up at me, the warm electric blue I loved, icy and cold now. I knew, because tears were gathering in my eyes even though I forced them back. I knew, because for the longest time, my heart seemed to stop. I knew, because we were in front of the art studio. I knew, because there was a tiny butterfly hovering just over his heart, its wings glittering in the pale moonlight.

He had no doubt fallen on his back in his attempt to ward off whatever chased him while running backwards. Idiocy, on his part. Though, to protect yourself from something with claws, I'd say a wise decision. His right foot was buried under the back of his left knee, probably from when he tripped. His left hand was resting gently on the left side of his ribcage, his right arm splayed out beside him in an almost relaxed fashion. His face was turned to the left, to stare at me as I kneeled down beside him, taking his left hand in mine, and running a finger down the side of his face, which still had a little warmth to it.

I gently drifted my fingers across his eyelids to shut them, unable to let his blue eyes stare at me any longer. I closed my own, though that only served to show me the imprint of his eyes on the back of my lids. Shaking again, or maybe I had never stopped, I leaned forward and rested my head tenderly on his chest, imagining it rising and falling with breaths of air, with life, though I knew it would never happen. I focused on my own heartbeat, and the amount of pain that rose from the fact that he would never again have his heart beating was unbearable.

It was my fault. He had done this because his parents made him. But he loved me, and he wanted to stay with me. it was my fault. I should've told him to go, I should've never gotten rid of my memories, the memories I can't even remember! Emmy's gone, and now so is he. I can't get him back. And it's my fault.

Abruptly, I became aware of another presence. It was familiar, and yet something was different about it. Something…almost sinister. I opened my eyes slowly and sat up, and across from me stood none other than Mr. Haley. He wore a blue button down dress shirt and khaki dress pants, as if he were going to go teach class. In his hand, however, was a pistol.

I was surprised to find I was not surprised. Yup. That's exactly what I said.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, my throat hoarse from reigning in the sobs I had wanted to let out, but refused to.

"It's time to go, Max." He said, and I _was_ surprised this time. His voice was so soft, so gentle; it was the voice he used when he was trying to persuade me to join art class. The same voice that talked me through all my problems, that listened to Emmy's made-up stories; it was the voice he was now using against me.

It was the voice that now sent shivers up and down my spine.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I whispered darkly. He just gave me a big smile, as if we were playing some giant game and I was getting the rules all mixed up.

"Silly Max, you're not going anywhere. You can stay right there, if you want. In fact, it'll probably be easiest." Mr. Haley said in his phony fatherly tone. I narrowed my eyes at him, understanding.

"I want my little girl." I growled, and Mr. Haley's eyes flashed, his smile dropping by a fraction.

"So do I, Max. So do I." I clenched Jesse's hand, and though he couldn't squeeze back, it gave me support. The menace in my art teacher's voice was enough to make me want to run and never look back. But I still had hold of enough common sense to process what he said. He wanted my little girl. That meant he didn't have her. And if he didn't have her… nope that's as far as I could get.

"Why do you want Emmy?" I asked him, and I couldn't stop the hint of curiosity from leaking into my voice. I was trying my best to glare, but this could prove beneficial to know just what made Emmy so important, and my curiosity overran my anger.

Mr. Haley let out a low chuckle, and the hairs on my arms stood up, despite the warmth of the May weather. "Don't you know anything girl? Emmy is the first successful child of two living genetic miracles! She is the mere proof that it can be done! She hasn't been altered in any way, only that she was created in a tube. Her mutations are her own, no help from scientists. She is a dream come true! Her avian DNA is pure! She will reshape the scientific future, forever! The scientist that can get his hands on Emmy holds the future of the world in his hands! Now that scientists have her, you genetically altered, impure mutant freaks aren't necessary. We don't need you anymore."

He raised his pistol and for the second time in a matter of days I was staring at the end of a gun. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sheer madness of it all, and it only made my laugh come out louder when Mr. Haley visibly paled and stared at me in confusion. I looked down at Jesse, contemplating things, before doing the only thing I knew how to do.

"_Sometimes I get so weird, I even freak myself out. I laugh myself to sleep, it's my lullaby."_ I started to sing, placing my hand on my knee and pushing myself up, chuckling slightly at the last line, and at the puzzled look on my old art teacher's face.

It was my turn to pale and freak out when three huge werewolf things came out of the shadows of the studio behind him. Ah, they must be the Eraser things Nudge spoke of. **(I know they aren't there anymore, but I really liked them…)** Only parts of them were dog like… though I had never seen a werewolf to compare… or a wolf for that matter… Either way they were still freaky. However, I took a deep breath and glared at them.

"_Sometimes I drive so fast, just to feel the danger. I wanna scream, it makes me feel alive."_ I continued on with the lyrics. Singing gives me adrenaline.

I could tell I was going to need it.

"Then scream Max. Scream as if your life depended on it. It won't make you feel alive, I can assure you that. It's going to signify your death." Mr. Haley said calmly, his fatherly voice gone with his confusion, although he was still looking at me strangely. I was used to it, and I admit I would have probably been staring at me strangely in this situation.

I just smiled a sad smile at him, actually feeling sorry for his lifestyle. "_Is it enough to love? Is it enough to breathe? Somebody rip my heart out, and leave me here to bleed."_ Well if that didn't explain how I felt, I don't know what did. Was it enough to love, to breathe, to be alive? What did it all mean? Why bother fighting for your life when you would die anyway? Why bother trying to love someone when in a few decades, your love will be gone with the wind and the rain, with time?

Because right now, it's all you have.

One of the Erasers snarled at me, perhaps agreeing to ripping out my heart and letting me bleed, and I just glared at him. Or her. I wasn't sure if you were supposed to be able to tell. I glanced down at Jesse as I sang the next line, still facing off my opponents.

"_Is it enough to die? Somebody save my life! I'd rather be anything but ordinary, please."_ When I sang that last section, this surge of –something- went through my body. Mr. Haley was staring at me, his mouth slightly gaping, his eyes wide open. I looked down to find I was glowing slightly. Is this some sort of comic?

"You are just an ordinary person, Max. You are here. You are a school girl. Maybe you have quirks, but that's it. Nothing about you is extreme." Mr. Haley told me, a slight hint of disgust in his tone, but also a note of fear, and I latched on to that, following through with my next line.

"_To walk within the lines, would make my life so boring. I want to know that I have been to the extreme."_

Smirking, knowing I could fight all four of them if I tried; I took a fighting stance, waiting. "_So knock me off my feet, come on give it to me. Anything to make me feel alive."_

And it was true. There was a residual numbness inside of me from losing Emmy, from finding out who I was wasn't really who I knew myself to be, from finding out about Jesse, to having found Jesse dead. I wanted to feel alive again. And I wanted to do so by bringing pain to those who brought pain to me. Morbid? Maybe, but it would feel nice.

The biggest Eraser took the first lunge at me and I side stepped it easily. "_Is it enough to love?"_ he came around with a poorly aimed kick, relying on brute strength to throw me off. I ducked, barely dodging, and delivered a fast hit to his stomach. It wasn't nearly as powerful as I had hoped, but he staggered. "_Is it enough to breathe?"_ He regained his balance just in time to receive a roundhouse kick to the chest. "_Somebody rip my heart out, and leave me here to bleed."_

The second Eraser decided to join in and he actually managed to clip my shoulder with his claws. Those things were huge! There had to be some restriction against those. "_Is it enough to die?"_ I spun around to punch the first Eraser's nose, and managed to, somehow, kick the second Eraser in the process. Take that! They both growled, creepily at the same time, and growing irritated, I hit a pressure point near the base of the neck of the first Eraser. Thank you, self defense class. "_Somebody save my life!" _I was lucky enough to hit the same pressure point on the second Eraser, before the third finally decided to join in. He, however, was smarter than the other two, and kept his neck out of my reach. "_I'd rather be anything but ordinary, please."_ And I would, just to fight these people off. To have a different life, to save Emmy, to get back my memories. To start over. To have Jesse back. I didn't want to be ordinary anymore. I saw my hands glowing a little brighter as I threw up my hands to block a punch. Unfortunately, it only managed to save my face. It still sent me flying across the clearing, skidding over the ground. Yes, just like you see in comics. "_I'd rather be anything but ordinary, please."_

"Had enough yet, Max? We can stop and end this anytime. You aren't strong enough for this. Let us kill you now, quickly. Don't fight us anymore." Mr. Haley said, back in his persuasive voice, obviously hoping to win me over as he did the first time, when he convinced me to join art class. He probably only did that to watch over me and find Emmy.

I pushed myself off the ground, extremely sore and nursing quite a few cuts and bruises and definitely a sprain, and stared defiantly back at him. "_Let down your defenses, use no common sense. If you look you will see that this world is a beautiful accident, turbulent, succulent, opulent, permanent, no way. I want to taste it. Don't want to waste it away!" _I pretty much screamed the last part, and suddenly I was engulfed in light. I was both in awe of myself and the miracle of this happening, and the doubt that this would actually be happening. But alas, I was surrounded in light. I was definitely in a comic.

It was a warm light, and it pulled me to my feet, healing all my injuries immediately. And then, as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. But it left behind a gift. Or rather, two gifts. Wings protruded from my shoulder blades. I didn't have to look behind me to know they were there. I could feel them. They were a part of me now, as if they had always been a part of me.

Laughing a little at how weird this situation was, I smiled at Mr. Haley, though it was more the smile of a girl who had gone mad. "_Sometimes I get so weird, I even freak myself out. I laugh myself to sleep, it's my lullaby."_

I lunged at Mr. Haley, my new found agility and speed already adjusted to. He took a step back, but looked down at his hand and seemed to realize what he was holding. He looked back up at me, and raised his gun in retaliation. I stopped short of my punch to his face, snarling. I wanted to hit him, to make him pay for what he had done. I wanted to prevent him from getting to Emmy before me. I wanted to just do something!

"_Is it enough? Is it enough! Is it enough to breathe! Somebody rip my heart out, and leave me here to bleed! Is it enough to die? Somebody save my life! I'd rather be anything but ordinary please!" _I screamed at him.

Why wasn't it enough that people had to take Emmy? Why wasn't it enough that Mr. Haley has killed Jesse after learning the whereabouts of Emmy? Why wasn't it enough to force me to get my wings back? Why wasn't anything ever enough for anybody? We live! We breathe! Can't that be enough for people! Is it enough, really, to die for all of that? To die simply because we breathe? Why? What makes that right?

If it meant being unordinary to change these things, I would do it. Rip out my heart, let me bleed, but let it be enough. I'm sick of it not being enough!

"_Is it enough? Is it enough to die? Somebody save my life! I'd rather be anything but ordinary please. I'd rather be anything but ordinary, please." _I concluded softly. The gun was still pointed at me, my wings were still stretched out slightly behind my back, my sad smile was still planted on my face.

The gun never fired. Before Mr. Haley even got the chance to say another word, I had jumped up, using my wings for added air, kicked the gun from his hands, caught it in my own, and shot him.

I felt no regret as he fell back the ground, his life gone the same way as Jesse's.

I let the gun fall from my hand as I turned to the people who had watched this entire thing go down. They arrived shortly after I found Jesse, and had thus witnessed everything. The happiness in their eyes over my returned wings was concealed by pity and sympathy and grief over Jesse's death. I didn't want any of it. I wanted them to leave me alone. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to hit something.

And most of all I wanted to forget all of the memories that were seeping back into my head, making everything swirl before my eyes.

**Me: Okay so the song was Anything but Ordinary by Avril Lavigne. And I'm sorry that was so angsty, but this was another thing planned from the beginning. I hope Mr. Haley's intentions are clear. If not, pm me or something and I'll clear them up with you. They're supposed to be a little shady. Yes, alas poor Jesse is dead. And Max has her wings. But her memories are like seeping into her head now. They didn't come back full force, though I thought about doing that.**

**Rebbie: So, that kinda jumped right into everything. Morbid. I miss Jesse already. He was a lost soul.**

**Me: Yeah… Continuing on, there will only be probably the next chapter and an epilogue. Wow. I can't believe it's almost over. Seems like I just started this. So…..reviews?**


	25. Believe

**Me: Okay, I am terribly sorry about the wait. But, you wouldn't believe how horrible my life has been recently. And I'm going to save you the trouble of knowing, by keeping all the boring and miserable details to myself. But now I am back in front of my loving computer, this chapter completely ready. It will never live up to the expectations I have set up for it, but I hope it comes close.**

**Rebbie: OH boy, there she goes, complaining again.**

**Me: Oh shut up. **

**Max's POV**

He had been watching. They had all been watching. From the moment the fight had started. Scratch that, since I had arrived to find Jesse nothing but a recently dead corpse. They just stood on the sidelines, watching. 'Let's let Max take care of this herself.' No help? Nothing? Not even removing Jesse's body from the dirty ground? Just gleeful faces at my wings? Pathetic! Weren't they supposed to protect me, like I protected them or something? It was quite clear I was not in the best state of mind, even I could tell that!

But nope, they just stood there, trying to conceal their happiness with grief. I'm not an idiot. I know lies when I see them. I knew little Angel over there could practically taste the pain of the memories that were leaking into my mind. It hurt. I have no metaphor or fancy shmancy words for how much it hurt. But it hurt even more to watch them pay more attention to me than to the dead body of the person I considered my best friend who was lying next to them.

Yes, I was in pain, yes I knew I had wings growing from my back, yes there were bruises and cuts lining my body, yes I had memories flooding my mind as if someone had turned on all the faucets and walked away. But that was all irrelevant. I wanted them to care about Jesse. That was the only thing circling about on a life raft in the torment of floods in my mind. See? I still got some metaphors left.

They watched as I glared at them before dropping down next to Jesse's body. I heard Nudge gasp, as if she was seeing it for the first time. I honestly wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but really. How do you miss a dead person that's bleeding everywhere?

"Max…" Someone whispered. Perhaps it was supposed to be in comforting. Didn't they get this was all their fault?

_No…_ a voice whispered at the back of my mind. It was one of the more painful memories, one of the ones I had been subconsciously trying to subdue. I tried to ignore it, tried to force myself to subdue it again. Someone called to me once more, but their voice was quieter, distant.

_No._ It whispered again, louder, and there were some fainter sounds in the background. I fought back the urge to cry out as my vision went black for a second, before everything came swimming blurrily back into view.

_NO!_ And it felt as if my entire body had been thrown into a black void. Swirling colors flashed behind my eyes; blues, blacks, greens, browns, even some pinks and reds. There were hushed whisperings and the sound of wind rushing past my ears. I closed my eyes tightly as pain flooded through my body as the memory that my mind had been locking away suddenly broke free. I tried to reign it back in but it was like trying to contain a wild animal, or your hunger. Impossible. Once you let it go, or acknowledged it, it was free, wild, and rampant.

And suddenly, there was peace.

_I carefully opened my eyes to find that I was sitting in a warm cave looking at a fire. I blinked a few times and tried to stand up, only to realize I wasn't actually there. I was watching this scene, but I wasn't there. I wasn't sitting at the fire, but looking down at it. Ha-ha, I felt like God. I wondered if that was what God felt like. He (or she, not discriminating or anything) probably got to move though. I was stuck in this one place, where I could conveniently see the entire cave, from entrance to the dark recesses._

_After what seemed like forever, six bird-kids landed at the entrance of the cave. Rephrase. I landed at the cave, followed by Fang and the others. And I looked pissed. Jeez this was weird, watching myself. I wondered briefly if I would be able to stop, or if I would go through all my memories until I met up with the time I started watching all my memories. Then would it start all over again? Well that wasn't very brief._

_The me below stomped over to the fire, sitting down rather close to it, warming her hands and glaring. Angel came and sat next to her and Iggy walked over, guided by Gazzy, and began what I only imagined to be dinner. It looked to be a few cans of soup and some bags of something or other. Is that really what they... I … used to eat? _

_Nudge gave a concerned look over at Fang who stood by the edge of the cave, looking even darker and more intimidating than usual. His arms were crossed as he leant against the cave wall and glared out at the world, scowling._

_It was almost the exact same face I wore below, only mine was clearly more furious. Angel had her hand on my arm, making soothing noises as if she were calming down a baby. Iggy and Gazzy were staying far from the me in the cave and Nudge was purposely staying quiet. The only noise were the soothing noises coming from Angel and the crackling of the fire. _

_I know how to read myself. Duh. I could tell that the attempts on Angel's part were not working. She was thinking about something, and the thoughts were simmering in her head. If anything, she was getting angrier. Not to mention the cold front being put off by Fang. Whatever it was, if one of us apologized now, I could tell it was going to save a whole mess of trouble. But of course that would never happen. And from the looks of it, I was the one expecting an apology.__** (I'm going to refer to the Max in the cave in third person, instead of continuously saying the me below etc. So she or her is the max in the cave and I is the max watching.)**_

_Suddenly she stood up, and Angel jumped back, reaching out but staying a few steps away. She knew not to mess with the me below. _

"_So that's it huh? You're just going to stand their brooding all night?" She said forcefully, and the hard glare that turned and met her eyes was a match for her own. He said nothing. Neither did anyone else in the cave._

"_What, you can't even muster up a yes or no, a shake of the head? Are you dumb AND mute?"_

_Something flashed behind Fang's eyes, something akin to rage. He stepped away from the cave wall and took a few steps towards the me below, easily six inches taller. However, she, of course, glared right up at him._

"_Not everybody is as opinionated as you are." He growled lowly. _

"_At least I share my opinions where they MATTER!" She snarled. Nudge had directed Iggy, Gazzy, and Angel into a part of the cave further back, quietly. Any noise could send either of the two arguing further over the edge than they already were._

"_Running into a building that has less than two minutes until explosion time is not called having opinions that matter." He cried exasperatedly. _

"_Then what do you call it, oh genius-one?" She muttered sarcastically. Fang through his hands in the air as if he couldn't believe she was asking that. Well, yeah it was kind of a stupid question._

"_It's called stupidity!"He yelled at her. I was slightly taken a back. Fang hardly ever raised his voice._

"_Well I'm sorry it was stupid of me to try and save those experiment children!" _

"_They couldn't be saved, Max!" _

"_Everyone can be saved!" The me on the ground screamed in frustration. _

"_You can't save everyone!" Fang insisted angrily. I could see where he was coming from, but I was also rooting on the me in the memory._

"_Well I can try, god-dammit!"_

"_You couldn't save Ari!"_

_It was silent. The girl on the ground's face was stony hard, looking as if she had just been told her cat died, brought back to life, and then hit by a mad truck. Nudge and Angel had tears in their eyes, and I think maybe they were remembering something that had to do with the name Ari. Iggy and Gazzy looked downright shocked. Fang's face was a mixture of 'oh crap' and 'I can't believe I just said that'._

"_Max, I didn't mean it like that-"_

"_Yes. Yes you did." Her voice was as hard as her expression. Fang sighed in irritation._

"_Maybe I did. Face it Max, there are going to be people you just can't save, and there's going to be nothing you can do about it."_

"_Like Ari. That's what you're trying to say right? That even though I have a voice in my head that's telling me to save the world, even though I've gone through hell to get, and keep, these damn wings on my back, even though I've haven't had a stable thing in my life including you, even though I can fly at supersonic speeds and beat the hell out of mutant freaks who come to kill me, and even though I've protected the ones I love from things most humans don't even know exist, that I can't change anything? That I can't save people? That I can't turn my curse into a blessing? Is that what you're telling me? I'm stuck being this mutant freak that fears for her life and only protects those who are near to her? I can't protect that cute girl getting bullied, or that nice old lady about to get hit by a car? I can't save that kitten in a tree, or the dog that's abandoned in backyard? Is that what you're trying to say? I've been given my abilities and my life to show that I was born to do something and that something was make a difference. And you're telling me I can't?"_

_Her voice was menacingly low, as she narrowed her eyes. _

"_Are you saying that one day, your expiration dates are going to come and I'm not going to save you? Because I can't? Because it happened to Ari and I couldn't save him? That I'm just going to still and watch you guys die because I can't save everybody, because I couldn't save Ari? And when you ask me why, I'll say 'Because Fang told me I couldn't.'" _

_Fang just stared at the me on the ground, helpless. She had taken his words and twisted them so violently that even I was starting to hate him. It was pretty good. She should, well I, should be a public debater person._

"_Everyone dies, Max."_

_The me in the cave lowered her gaze, her shoulders shaking. It had gone so suddenly from one extreme to the other, that I was concerned for my own mental health. Was I laughing or was the me crying…?_

_She was crying. She had gone from pissed off raging teenage mutant to depressed and crying mutant._

"_You aren't going to die. None of you. And I don't care what you think, I can save you!" she screamed, tears in her eyes._

_Fang was a little surprised, as were the others, though they remained where they were. Fang, however, moved in to try in comfort her, and she struck out. I slapped him. I actually slapped him. I was torn between yelling at myself, or laughing at the irony at it all. I hated all those prissy girls who thought slapping people solved things, and yet I had slapped someone. Way to go, irony._

_Fang stared at her. I could feel, even though I was watching this from above, I could still feel the stunned stares boring holes in the back of her head. Angel was concentrating, trying hard to bury into the me below's mind but it wasn't working. Nudge was staring, mouth wide open. Gazzy looked terrified and his eyes were huge, as if he couldn't believe that had actually happened. Iggy was straining to hear, but there was a little 'o' on his lips, as if he had guessed what went down._

_The me below continued to cry quietly and Fang stared, unsure what to do now that he knew if he got close he'd be hit._

_Finally she looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand._

"_I could have saved those children, but you stopped me. If it had been Angel or Nudge or any of the Flock you would have risked your life alongside mine." It was a sharp accusation, but true nonetheless. We all knew it too._

"_Max..." he warned, not liking where this was going._

"_What is it? Just because I'm the oldest I get reprimanded for risking my life? Nobody here to take over every now and then? I want to find a place to settle down too, ya know! But there are more important matters! Wouldn't it be considered selfish of us not to use our abilities to save people? Wasn't that what I was doing? Is it just because you guys can't live without me, or because I'm the one in charge and you guys don't know how to lead on your own? I'm sick of this crap! Why don't you take over for once?"_

"_Nobody asked you to be in charge Max." Fang said quietly, hoping but knowing it wasn't what she wanted to hear._

"_But you all expect it of me." she whispered._

"_Maybe you're just cut out to be a mother, raising and defending her Flock." He said soothingly._

"_But I'm not cut out to live a life of luxury, huh? My own Flock can't even give me a break. You're supposed to be my best friend, but when I go to do the things I want to do for once, it's suddenly not okay! It's always what you guys want to do; it's always for the best of the Flock. Never something that interests me, and I'm the leader!" She screamed. _

_I could see the anger building in Fang again. I wasn't sure quite why he was getting angry though. It seemed to me that the me in the cave had a fair point._

"_And you consider running into a building that's about to explode okay leadership qualities? Do you want to teach Angel that it's okay to kill herself in an attempt for the better good? How about leaving Iggy and Gazzy with the guilt of knowing it would have been their bomb that killed you? Nudge wouldn't have anyone to help her talk about girl stuff! Angel is too young for a lot of it, and us guys are certainly not going to understand! And what about me, Max? What about me? How would I feel, suddenly getting put in the leader's role? Suddenly having all your duties thrust upon me, because you up and decided to have yourself killed 'for the better good'? You can't save everyone, and I know you try! You're Maximum freakin Ride! If anything, you try too much! Yeah, we're sorry that you don't always get to do what you want, but you chose to continue being the leader when the role presented itself, and now you have to live with the consequences! If you don't like it, then quit!"_

_Everyone and that goes for all the bugs, bacteria, whatever happened to be alive, I include it when I say everyone stared at him. That was by far the most that had ever come out the boy's mouth, angry or happy, on a good or bad day. And it most certainly was the most ever said in front of such a large audience at such a loud volume with such emotion. The boy practically had a sign hanging over his head reading 'Gone Insane, be back in five'._

"_Quit, huh? That's really how you feel?" Tears started to well up in her eyes again, but she blinked them back. Fang said nothing just continued to glower at her. From my view above, I could see the doubt and confusion rolling about in his eyes. Of course he didn't feel that way, but he was angry. Or at least, that's how it appeared. _

_But I still felt the stab of pain shoot through my heart, and even though I wasn't actually there, I could feel my fingers clenching, feel my eyes tearing up. It was if I was standing down there instead of her, glaring at the cave floor, willing myself not to cry. It was me down there shaking with fear, with anger, with hurt. He was my best friend, wasn't he supposed comfort me and reassure me that he would always be by my side and that I could do anything, even if we both knew it wasn't true?_

_After a prolonged silence, she turned. She walked to the edge of the cave. She stood with her back to the cave and the people in it for the longest time. After what was only a few moments, she turned her head to look at them, a resigned look upon her face._

"_So if I were to jump out of this cave, and never unfurl my wings or have anyone catch me, because that's what I wanted, are you saying you would deny me my request?" She asked softly._

"_Of course we would. We wouldn't let you die." Fang replied, calming his temper, but only just._

"_Even though I wanted to quit?"_

"_Quitting and dying because you're mad at me are two different things! You can't just give up every time something doesn't go your way."_

"_You guys do!" She cried, and another sharp stab of pain went through my chest. They did, I realized. Things didn't go their way, and they would just sit and say screw it. It took her, well my, long speeches and motivation to get them going._

"_But-" She cut him with a glare._

"_But I'm the leader right? So what, first you tell me I can quit, now I can't? What is it? And since when do you decide?"_

"_Think about the Flock!" He yelled at her. She felt tears threaten her eyes again, and I felt the same, and I was unsure of why they were there._

"_I want to think about me for once! Me, me, me! I want to do what I want to do, without asking permission!" She screamed. Fang clenched his fists and glared at her._

"_Well you can't! Face it! The Flock is more important than you and your problems!" he yelled in frustration. A nearly inaudible gasp was heard from the members of the Flock that we, meaning the three of us, or two of us seeing us it was me and Fang, and me, had forgotten about._

_She stood staring at him, before screaming "Fine! If that's how it is, then I'll leave! You won't ever have to deal with me again!"_

_I watched as the me in the cave turned and jumped from the cave, her wings never unfurling. Suddenly, she was soaring up, and shooting away, nothing but a slowly disappearing dot in the distance. And Fang did nothing but stand there, glaring, before turning away to brood off in the dark corners of the cave._

Pain shot through my head as I felt myself being sucked into the void again. Colors were once again swirling behind my eyes, these ones browns and reds, with dark blues and other colors in shadows. I tried to make out the dim outlines of people but I couldn't. I heard faint voice calling my name, over and over and over. It was like a broken record, all I heard was my name.

I brought my hands to my head as I regained feeling and sat up, realizing I had collapsed, lying beside Jesse. It must've only been a few minutes because the moon was still where it had been in the sky, and Jesse's wound was still bleeding lightly.

I stood up, shaking with both anger and exhaustion. Watching a memory takes a lot out of you. I felt a hand place itself on my shoulder, as if steadying me. I stiffened and immediately recognized it.

I spun on my heel and turned to face him.

"You." I whispered darkly.

Fang took a few steps back, and I eyed his side where his shot wound was. Funny, such a short time ago and here he is up and walking about. Almost as if he's _forgotten. _Been a lot of that going around… I took the few steps that he had separated between us, so that I was almost nose to nose with him, minus the fact he was taller than me.

I grabbed the front of Fang's shirt pulling him down towards me harshly.

"This is all your fault." I growled. I shoved him away from me with as much force as I could muster and he stumbled back a few steps. You know that term seeing red? It means literally. The corners of my eyes were tinted with red.

It was his fault I left that damn place, his fault I had gotten my memories erased, his fault I had met Jesse, his fault I had come across Emmy. It was his fault I was here, my new life, my better life, ruined. His fault Emmy, my daughter, was gone. It was his fault Jesse was dead. And it was his fault I had just remembered what I had chosen to forget in the first place! I wanted to kill him! He was going to feel the pain I felt! All that I gotten rid off, all that I had put in its place, everything was shattering! I needed to vent, I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to do something!

I closed the distance between us again and pulled my fist back and brought it forward, slamming into his jaw. There was a sickening crack and his head jolted to the side, but he did nothing to stop me. He turned his head back around and met my eyes but I was too angry to read whatever emotion was there. I probably wouldn't have read the emotion there, even if it wasn't anger I felt. I brought my other fist around, landing a solid punch in the center of his chest. He didn't make a sound.

Nobody intervened, knowing this was something we had to work out. They knew I wouldn't kill him. Hopefully.

I kept throwing punches, hit after hit; punch after punch, all hitting in directly the same spot, the center of his chest. And every time, not a noise was heard. Every time, he did nothing to stop me, nothing to slow me down, nothing to defend himself. He just let me take out my anger on him, as if he were some punching bag.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" I yelled with each punch. And with each punch it became louder, more of a scream. "I HATE YOU!"

I didn't even realize I had begun to cry, until my vision became so blurred I had to shake my head in one jerky movement to get the tears to fall out of my eyes faster. Slowly, my punches became weaker, light hits to taps, until the sides of my fists were resting gently on his chest. My head joined them, and I unclenched my fists, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, crying uncontrollably. And he just stood there, letting me cry, not saying a word.

I don't know how long we stood like that, me sobbing pitifully into his shirt, with him just standing there, staring somewhere beyond my head. Finally, finally his arms came up around my body, stroking my tangled hair, his cheek resting on mine. I could feel the bruised bump on his jaw from where I hit him, and I felt regret.

"I can't apologize. I know it won't be the same. Believe, Skillet. That's all I have to offer." He whispered. It was my turn to say nothing as I just stayed there with his arms around me, letting the last of my tears fall.

* * *

I left the note sitting on his window sill, stuck with tape so I knew he got it. I know it was crappy of me, but my wings were back and this was how it had to be. We'd meet again someday, I just knew it.

After assuring that note was secure, I flew a little farther away from the building, watching it for a few moments, reluctant. Sighing, I turned in the air and sped off, not quite hitting maximum speed. I had one thing on my mind and one thing only. Rescue Emmy.

I put my headphones in my ears and turned on my iPod, the familiar square brining me some comfort. I hit play and listened as the song started, the song I had played on repeat for most of the afternoon after burying Jesse, when I needed some time alone.

_I'm still trying to figure out  
How to tell you I was wrong  
I can't fill the emptiness  
Inside since you been gone  
So is it you or is it me  
I know I said things that I didn't mean  
But you should've known me by now  
You should've known me_

_If you believed, when I said  
I'd be better off without you  
Then you never really knew me at all  
If you believed, when I said  
That I wouldn't be thinking about you  
You thought you knew the truth but you're wrong  
Cuz you're all that I need  
Just tell me that you still believe_

_I can't undo the things  
That led us to this place  
But I know there's something more  
To us than our mistakes  
So is it you, or is it me  
I know I'm so blind when we don't agree  
But you should've known me by now  
You should've known me_

_If you believed, when I said  
I'd be better off without you  
Then you never really knew me at all  
If you believed, when I said  
That I wouldn't be thinking about you  
You thought you knew the truth but you're wrong  
Cuz you're all that I need  
Just tell me that you still believe_

_Is it you, or is it me  
I know I said things that I didn't mean  
You should've known me by now  
You should've known me_

_If you believed, when I said  
I'd be better off without you  
Then you never really knew me at all  
If you believed, when I said  
That I wouldn't be thinking about you  
You thought you knew the truth but you're wrong_

_Cuz you're all that I want  
Don't you even know me at all  
Cuz you're all that I need  
Just tell me that you still believe_

Smiling sadly to myself, I hit turbo and jetted off to rescue my daughter, knowing the sun wouldn't be rising for another two hours, giving me a good head start.

**Fang's POV**

I woke up knowing something wasn't right. I looked over to my window and saw something flapping gently in the breeze. A pit weighing in my stomach, I climbed out of bed and walked over to my window, shoving it open. There, sitting on my window sill, was a note addressed to me.

_Dear Fang,_

_I believe._

_-Max_

I wanted to smile. Right, me smiling? But I knew what this letter meant. I knew that she had done it with at least a two hour head start. That's how Max worked, and we had our old Max back now. She was well off on her way to rescuing Emmy. There was no way we could catch up, and she didn't need help, not an angry Max set on getting her daughter back. But she wouldn't come straight here first afterwards. How long would she take, was the question.

She couldn't keep me from her though. Not forever. She had to come back eventually. I knew that. I knew that, from chasing her all these years. She will always come around, because she knows I'm always waiting. Kind of pathetic, really. But it's the truth.

I fell back onto my bed, letting a light grin grace my face. She was quite a mystery, she was. Always up to something, always working independently. You could never expect anything she does. I love it. And yet, once again, she's gone. And I'm left in the dust, waiting for her inevitable return. I'm used to it. She'll return. For me, for the Flock, for Emmy. She believes.

Now to break it to everybody else.

**Me: Alas, my dear story is coming to a close! I hope that memory served its purpose. It was all jumbled but it was kinda supposed to be like that. You know the fight where you just sort of let everything out. Anyways, there's only the epilogue left! OMG I'm so sad! I can't believe I'm finishing this story! Thank you so much to every one! Oh look at me, giving thank you's and I haven't even finished the story yet.**

**Rebbie: Jeez. Well, I must admit, this is a sad thing. Ending a story… Well now we have time for the life she's neglecting.**

**Me: OH ho! And that's where you're wrong! I have two other stories to work on for fanfiction, and at least four novel ideas I've been toying with, one of which is already seven chapters in the making!**

**Rebbie: Of course it is…**

**Me: Oh gosh, this is just so touching… reviews would absolutely be wonderful!**


	26. Epilogue: Reunited

**Me: Sorry it took so long. I wanted to make it as perfect as it could be, but there were also some problems, like you know, Christmas coming up, my house got broken into, my online high school course finished and so I had a ton of assignments…. But anyways. Well, this is it folks. The final chapter to Don't Remember to Forget Me. I would just like to say thank you to everyone and anyone who has ever reviewed this story, even just once. Also I would like to thank those, who even if you didn't review, if you read it. Thanks for taking the time, bearing with me during long waits, and reading my story. So just, thank you so much!**

**Rebbie: You're welcome.**

**Me: You didn't do anything. **

**Rebbie: That's what you'd like to think.**

**Me: No, you really didn't. Anyways just a quick reminder! Last chapter was towards the end of May, right before both Emmy and Max's birthdays. Emmy would be turning four and Max would be turning 17. To make it easier, everyone else hadn't had birthdays yet. So, with the time jump, just keep in mind why Emmy and Max are a little older than they should be and everyone else is not.**

_**Two Years Later Max's POV**_

"You ready Emmy?"

The six year old nodded at me, her light brown eyes shining with excitement. Her long black hair was flowing freely in gentle waves down her shoulders over her flowy baby blue t-shirt and loose faded denim jeans.

I brushed my own dirty blonde hair from my eyes and smiled down at her. "Then let's go."

She grinned and suddenly two wings shot out from her back, spreading her seven-foot wingspan wide open. Her wings were beautiful, pure midnight black, as dark as her hair, with a lining of light brown feathers on the very top. Another sign of her heritage.

I nodded once to her before taking off, and without the slightest hesitation that she had towards the beginning, she took off after me. She was still a little new to flying, her wings unable to carry her for very long the first few months of the first year after her rescue, and the last half of the first year I taught her every easy technique I knew. She was very good at flips and diving, however her landings were off.

"How long is the flight?" Her little voice asked me.

"It's only about 4 or 5 hours, sweetie." I replied. The previous days, without her knowing, I had been slowly moving us closer, that way when we finally took off on our long flight to get there, it would be short enough for her to make it without any stops.

Emmy smiled and began a long rambling of some 'friends' she had made of animals in the forest. She talked about a squirrel she had name Timmy and a fox she had named Rose. I wasn't entirely sure how she befriended half the animals she befriended, but hey. We _are_ mutant bird-kids. Well, I'm more of an adult now. Still, I'm not sure how we do half the stuff we do. But I nodded and murmured 'that's cool' where needed, listening to my little girl talk on the flight. I would never grow tired of her talking, especially on such long flights.

You see, they don't know we're coming, let alone that we know where they are. However, since I'm Maximum Ride, I just so happen to know that they are staying at the E-house, which has been rebuilt. Not the best idea in my book, but I personally think that it _is_ the last place Itex will think to look for them, and now us. Not that there is much of Itex left. More on that later. So we were going to surprise them.

Emmy really wanted to meet him.

I could tell she was nervous. When she's nervous, she rambles. To most, it would seem as if she's just talking a little more than usual, however her voice is slightly higher and slightly faster, and she says a whole lot more in one breath. I hardly knew what she was talking about, as well. Her mind processed things almost as fast as Nudge's. It was rather impressive, actually. Impressive, and scary.

After a while, I motioned to Emmy to look down. We were passing over the forest that led to the house. Already I could see five small figures and what looked to be a small dog in the front yard. I wanted to laugh, and almost did. However, I settled on a small smile and a glance over at my daughter. They hadn't brought Total with them to 'rescue' me. I missed the sarcastic little fuzz-ball, and I knew Emmy would love the talking pest.

"You ready to meet everyone Emmy?" I asked her. Her face was set in a look of pure determination as she nodded vigorously. She barely knew these people, and while she was excited, she was scared of meeting her family and either not being up to their standards, or vice versa. I had tried many times to assure her that the Flock would accept her no matter what, and I knew little Emmy had enough room in her heart for four or five Flocks.

Her eyes were focused directly on the small figures which were gradually getting bigger. We could actually make out who was who now, for certain. I smiled slightly, watching as my two girls sat in the sun, Nudge doing Angel's hair, Total sitting in Angel's lap. I'm almost positive Iggy and Gazzy were building a bomb of some sort. Of course. And he was typing furiously at a computer.

"Okay Ems, just remember what I told you about landing techniques. We want to make a good first impression. Well, again."

"Right. Don't pull in the wings too early, start slowing down early and lean up and back. It's okay to do a little run. Holding out arms for balance is not a sign of weakness." She quoted, ticking off each one on her finger.

I chuckled. "Exactly Emmy. Start lowering yourself now into about a 45 degree angle dive. We're going to land right in front of them. Sound good?"

She gave me a double thumbs up, wavering a little in the air before righting herself as we both lowered.

I watched as five, six if you count Total, heads turned and noticed our approaching forms. They all stopped what they were doing; standing up where needed, and took a few steps back, forming a mushy line, allowing us plenty of room to land. Grins were plastered on each of their faces, even a tiny one on his face. Mirrored looks were on mine and Emmy's faces.

As we touched ground, I grasped Emmy's hand and squeezed it, smiling gently as she concentrated solely on not faltering on her landing. She grinned up at me when she made her best landing yet, squeezing my hand back. Then we both pulled in our wings and turned to face the group in front of us.

It was silent for a moment as Emmy and I stared at the group across from us, and in turn they stared at us. It was almost as if we were each getting our bearings, studying that which we hadn't seen in two years. Emmy had inched almost unnoticeably closer to me, suddenly shy. I felt as her heart rate started to pulse through our connected hands and I squeezed hers again as a warning sign.

I knew Emmy couldn't take much more of the silence. She had all but hidden behind me, her fist curled in front of her mouth, struggling to keep hold of her heart rate. I traced gentle circles across the back of her hand, reassuring her. It didn't help that everybody was watching us. It was one giant staring contest. Who was going to break first?

I crouched down beside Emmy, and she never took her eyes off the large group of people she had once known by different names. A few minutes ago, she had been literally soaring with happiness and excitement, and now she was paralyzed with fear. That was Emmy. As lively and outgoing as she was, in uneasy situations, where she couldn't predict the outcome, she became easily introverted.

"Now or never, Emmy. Courage or cowardice." I whispered so only she could hear. I held out my fist as I had done so many nights with the Flock, and now so many nights with Emmy. Turning from them, she met my eyes, and I could see the fear dissipating, the determination setting back in. She place her fist on top of mine, giving a smile and a nod. I ruffled her hair and she turned to face the group.

She wasn't seeing the group, however. That much was clear. There was only one person she was focused on, the one person she was terrified of but most desperate to meet. And that was who she was now walking with calm, slightly shaky steps towards. He bent down to one knee, and when she reached him she still had to look up a little to look in his eyes, and she did just that.

"Hi. I'm Emelia Makenna Ride. I am six years old. I know we've met before, but neither one of us was really ourselves then." Emmy started off strong, pausing suddenly. I watched as tears filled her eyes and she tried her best to hold them back, rubbing her eyes with her fists. I wanted to help her, comfort her, but now was not my time.

"Emmy doesn't mean to cry! But she's just waited so long to finally meet you!" Emmy bawled, reverting to the speech patterns I had finally managed to break about 8 months ago, after difficult training.

I was too surprised and delighted to care however. Emmy had thrown herself into Fang's arms, and he had instinctively wrapped his arms around the fragile child, reassuring her that he had waited to meet her as well. It was almost as if fathering instincts were programmed into him as much as mothering instincts are programmed into nearly every girl.

I watched as the others left to give us some time alone as a family, to resituate ourselves. I was appreciative, but I also felt apprehensive. I didn't know what to expect.

I waited on the side lines while the two enjoyed their first real moment together, letting Emmy calm down. After a few moments and a few hiccups, she looked up glanced around, and finally spotted me leaning up against a tree. She waved to me, a huge smile lighting her pretty little face. I hesitated, but as soon as I met his eyes my feet started moving of their own accord.

"Mommy! It wasn't hard! You were right! Courage! I'm glad we came today." She chirped cheerfully, all signs of worry and panic gone. She was back, my little Emmy.

I reached down, my sleeve in my hand, and wiped away the remnants of tears from her face. She was still in Fang's lap, so it was a little strange, but I did not think much of it.

"Told you so." I murmured playfully. She stuck her tongue out and proceeded to wiggle from Fang's grasp to chase after a dragonfly.

With a slight thud, I sat down beside Fang on the grass. He had stopped watching the girl in front of us like I was, and instead was watching me.

"Can I help you?" I asked, turning to him. I was completely not expecting the full blown smile, and could not stop the slight blush from rising to my cheeks.

"She's beautiful." He answered instead, returning to watching Emmy. I smiled, agreeing. Deciding to show that she was not only beautiful, but amazing, I called her over to us. She trotted away from the dragonfly to stand before me, her head tilting slightly curiously.

"Let's put on a show, okay Ems?" The girl nodded, smiling grand. Emmy may have her shy moments, but if there's anything she always is, it's proud.

"Okay, so I'm assuming you saw some of her wings on her descend. Just to be sure. Emmy, show off those wings we're both so proud of!"

The girl stepped back a few feet and slowly rolled her shoulders, just like I had taught her. One wing then the other slowly unfurled, showing off her beautiful shimmering raven black wings, with the light brown feathers lining the top softening the dark. She turned around so we could see each little detail, and even though I knew her wings by heart, I still found them stunning every time I saw them. As she finished her circle, she pulled the wings back in.

"Mommy! Can I show Daddy what I can do?" She asked with much enthusiasm. I stared at her in worry. I disliked some of her powers.

"Will you come back this time? Remember what happened last time you tried it. I had to find some weird plant. I'm not doing that again." I could feel Fang's confused stare going between us both, mixed with his awe at being called daddy.

"I promise I'll come back. I've been practicing! Daddy, this is for you!" Emmy cheered, before closing her eyes and placing her hand over her heart. Suddenly she disappeared. After a few moments she reappeared where she was standing.

I could almost feel the surprise radiating from Fang. I was surprised myself. She barely had control over her power and yet just to show off for her father for the first time, she had mastered it for a few seconds. That's right folks, she has inherited the ability to disappear. Granted, she can do it whenever she wants and we've discovered on accident that she can move invisibly, she has yet to fully master this technique. We're working on it though.

"She got that…from me."He whispered. Emmy nodded. He turned to me, curiosity in his eyes. "Can she do what you do?"

"What, the turbo thing?" I asked smiling. Fang nodded, to which I replied with a shake of my head. "Nope. I'm the fastest mutant alive. She can, however, heal faster than anything I've ever seen before. I think my turbo kicked in there instead. Instead of super fast speed, she got super fast healing. And my god, does she talk fast. Nudge has got competition."

Fang raised an eyebrow in disbelief and I smirked evilly. "Just you wait…"

Emmy, bored with the fact she was no longer in the conversation, plopped herself half on my lap and half in Fang's, a feat which I found impressive yet seemingly uncomfortable.

"I want to play with the puppy I saw! Can we, can we, can we? And there's a movie playing later! Tangled! With Mandy Moore! She's pretty Mommy! Let's see that movie!" I laughed at Emmy's eager voice as she jumped up once again to twirl around. Fang smiled gently as we stood up. Emmy automatically reached for my hand, and a look of surprise crossed Fang's face for a second when she grabbed his hand with her tiny one, dragging us behind her.

Suddenly she stopped and turned to face me, a carefree but almost worried expression on her face. "Mommy, I almost forgot! Jesse said 'Thanks for the flowers. Lilies are my favorite, but next time can you bring a hot dog? I'm starving.'" She giggled and continued on towards the house, letting go of our hands.

I sighed and caught Fang's very confused and slightly jealous expression. "Isn't Jessie…."

"Yeah. She communicates with the dead that were very close to either her, me, or you, as long as she knew them. And, we recently visited Jesse's grave with flowers, and I guess he had a message."

"Can't forget him?"

"Does it bother you?" I asked him softly, stopping my already slow walk to the house. So, I was still a little hung up over Jesse. It had been two years, yeah. He had betrayed me, yeah. But he was still my best friend, I still loved him, and he still died because of me. I knew a part of me was always going to blame myself, and was always going to love him. Even though he had told me multiple times that there was someone else out there that loved me more than he ever could. Well Emmy told me that, technically.

"It would be lying to say it didn't. But I understand." Fang replied.

We were quiet for a few moments before I felt a sudden urge for reassurance. I needed to know that he trusted me, that he believed I wasn't going leave again. I needed to know he was going to try this out, that he really loved Emmy as much as I did. I just needed to know. Silently, I reached out and grasped his hand, much like Emmy had done. Our hands fit perfectly together, as if they had never been apart. As if they were meant to go together, as cheesy as that sounds.

We walked the rest of the walk to the house just talking; about Emmy, about life, about the weather. He knew I wouldn't answer any Itex questions until everyone was present, and so the conversation was kept light and casual.

I had barely stepped through the threshold before being nearly pummeled by an overexcited Nudge, an eager Angel, a bouncy Emmy (why she was hugging me with the others was a little odd), my ever calm Iggy, and an enthusiastic Gazzy. Even Total ran a few laps around my feet.

"Hey guys. Long time no see, eh?"

"You could say that again!" Gazzy shouted. I smiled and ruffled his hair, though he was the same height as me now. I bent down slightly to give Angel a hug and Total a pat on the head, which though he huffed too, I knew he enjoyed it by the wagging of his tail. I gave Nudge a tight hug, before stepping back to examine her. The girl had matured greatly, and had become a beautiful young lady. Her fashion senses were as keen as ever, if I knew anything about fashion anyways. Her hair was straightened and braided. I know she had to take over the mothering during my absence while also learning how to be a girl on her own. She turned out just fine.

I turned to Iggy. I know how hard it must have been for him, having to learn what had happened again and again by hearing of it, never knowing what had truly gone down. He was pretty smart and very intuitive, so I'm positive he figured most of it out before everyone else told him, however. I stepped towards him and wrapped him in a hug.

Very quietly because I knew he would hear it, I whispered, "Thank you for keeping him in line. I don't think he would have made it without you."

"It wasn't easy. You know how he is."

I stepped back and chuckled. "Do I ever."

"So, Max, you've got loads of explaining to do. Like, so you were gone for two years, and we find you. And we get you back, and then crap goes to show, which doesn't even make sense, and you're gone again for two more years. We all wake up the day we think we're going to go rescue Emmy and Fang says 'Oh, b-t-dubs, she's not here. Yeah she left already. So we have to wait.' What's the deal with that, really? Anyways, we need to know what went down, why nobody has tried to kill, injure, maim, kidnap, or anything else, recently, and what you've been doing for two years. And we want to know if you're going to up and leave again, because we really don't want that. And I would love to get to know my niece!" Nudge squealed, picking Emmy up and spinning her around, much to Emmy's delight.

I sighed, motioning for everyone to follow me into the living room. We all gathered onto the various chairs and couches, Emmy sitting on my lap and Fang to my right, as it should be.

"So, as you know, I left sometime during the night. It was around dawn. I got to the School after about 8 hours. I stopped for nothing, going on turbo the entire trip. I didn't even realize how angry I had been until I finally touched down right outside the gates. They were so surprised to see me, especially so soon. Especially since I just crashed through the gates, setting off pretty much every alarm in the place. I was even more pissed than our fight, Fang. Can you believe that? There were no hesitations with them, either. They were set on kill. I was dodging bullets, Erasers, needles, tranquilizers, everything. I just fought and ran. I had no idea where I was going inside the building, just ran, opening every cage I saw. And every white coat or evil creep unfortunate enough to come across me… well let's just say none of the fights lasted longer than a minute. Still, I had been in there for half an hour, and I couldn't find her." I broke off, my voice catching. I remember the fear that coursed through my veins as I was running through the white halls. It was so terrifying, not being able to find Emmy.

"But she surprised me. She was being taken in for experiments at the time of my break-in and so her white coats had run off to fight the intruder. _She _found _me._ She had broken out of her restraints and followed the sound of my voice." I was suddenly cut off by Emmy's little voice interrupting me.

"My white coat was a dummy. Who leaves a prisoner during an invasion? And it was very easy to escape. I just became really strong all of a sudden, and the restraints really stunk. And I could hear Mommy really well. She's says that's cuz I'm a birdie. I think that's weird. Real birds don't have ears. Silly Mommy." Everyone laughed as Emmy patted my leg and shook her head at me, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know, Ems. Anyway, I wanted to get her out of that place and soon, and I just knew I had released all of the other experiments, but I couldn't just leave the building still standing. So Emmy and I made our way to the supply closet. Thank God I paid attention to you guys, Ig, Gaz, because I somehow managed to find some chemicals that I knew would explode. I managed to create this elaborate fire bomb thing, going from one end of the building to the other, with Emmy's help of course. Then we booked it out of there, after setting the trail of gasoline leading to the piles of chemicals, on fire. And ka-boom! The entire building went up. Yeah, I wasted precious time on something that might not have worked, but it did. I must say I'm rather proud of myself.

"Anyways, after that, we traveled around the world, destroying branches here and there, while developing Emmy's basic skills. I've homeschooled her to the best of my ability, but she's so smart on her own that it's more like it's been her teaching me. It took about two months for her wings to actually grown in, so that was what took up most of our spare time. Stories of you guys were also popular. We got attacked once or twice, but we fended them off. Emmy's a real trooper. Never complains about her food not being good, or it being cold outside. Yes, Iggy, I did actually cook. Emmy likes it." I ignored the horrified looks that everyone shot me.

"I really liked when we were in Japan. Right Mommy? We wanted to try that miso soup stuff, like the real kind. It's delicious. Mommy can make a good imitation, but not as good as the real stuff." Emmy chimed in.

"You went all the way to Japan?" Gazzy asked incredulously. Emmy nodded and grinned.

"I think the better question is Max can make miso soup?" Iggy added. Nudge nodded in agreement and Angel just giggled.

"Anyways, I have a song that I'd like to sing for you. All of you. I wrote it while Emmy and I were sitting out a particularly bad storm. It's called I'll Be. I just figured, you guys are my life, and I know I haven't really done a good job at proving that." I stood up, pulled out my iPod from the back pack that nobody had noticed I had dropped at my feet, and also pulled out my iPod speakers. To be honest, I was surprised these things lasted as long as they had. Almost three years.

I plugged the iPod into the speakers and started up the music to the song. Emmy knew most of it, but not all of it. I did a lot of it while she was sleeping. I stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by the ones I loved once again. There was truly no better feeling.

The lines of the song were all dedicated to someone, or to the group as a whole. The first lines were for Fang so I started the song facing him. I reached out and took his hand, meeting his gaze steadily, as the song started.

_When darkness falls upon your heart and soul  
I'll be the light that shines for you_

Turning to Nudge, I smiled and fingered the end of her long braid.

_When you forget how beautiful you are  
I'll be there to remind you_

I place my hand over Iggy's sightless eyes, before trailing my fingers through his hair. _When you can't find your way, I'll find my way to you._

I looked at the three of them, their faces shining back at me. _When trouble comes around, I will come to you._

_I'll be your shoulder, when you need someone to lean on  
Be your shelter when you need  
Someone to see you through  
I'll be there to carry you  
I'll be there  
I'll be the rock that will be strong for you  
The one that will hold on to you  
When you feel that rain falling down  
When there's nobody else around  
I'll be_

I turned and picked up my little girl, rocking slightly. _And when you're there with no one there to hold. I'll be the arms that reach, for you._

I turned to Gazzy who gave me a huge grin. _And when you feel your faith is running low. I'll be there to believe, in you._

Turning to Angel, my original baby girl, the one I cared for first and foremost, who may not be my biological daughter but is still my little girl all the same, I cupped her cheek. I knew the hardships I had put her through, having to deal with the harsh thoughts, being the grownup of the family for so long. Never knowing what was going to work out, even though she could read minds. _When all you find are lies, I'll be the truth you need._

I turned to my three youngest members. _When you need someone to run to, you can run to me._

_I'll be your shoulder, when you need someone to lean on  
Be your shelter when you need  
Someone to see you through  
I'll be there to carry you  
I'll be there  
I'll be the rock that will be strong for you  
The one that will hold on to you  
When you feel that rain falling down  
When there's nobody else around  
I'll be_

_I'll be the sun, when your hearts' filled with rain  
I'll be the one, to chase the rain away_

_I'll be your shoulder, when you need someone to lean on  
Be your shelter when you need  
Someone to see you through  
I'll be there to carry you  
I'll be there  
I'll be the rock that will be strong for you  
The one that will hold on to you  
When you feel that rain falling down  
When there's nobody else around  
I'll be_

_I'll be._

The song ended and everyone cheered and jumped up, engulfing me in the first ever Emmy included group hug.

To say there weren't tears in my eyes would be a lie. I was near crying, not quite, but near. My family was together. All of it. All of us, here, in one spot. I would never let us separate again. Maybe I had to lose some things along the way, and maybe I had to learn some things as well, but this could not have been a better ending. Or rather, a beginning. A beginning, for me, for Emmy, for Fang, and for the Flock.

I smiled with my Flock, before ushering them all to the kitchen. "So. As the first order of being together again, I decree making cookies."

I knew the offer was too good to decline.

**Me: WAHHHHHH IT'S OVER! IT'S SO SAD! *sniffle* Imma go cry in a corner now. **

**Rebbie: OH the drama. Must say, I will miss this story. It's just like, a part of us. Well you. Yeah… Reviews?**

**Me: *sobs* how will I ever go on with my life? *sniffle, sniffle, hiccup***

**Rebbie: Oh geez.**

**Authors Note. Okay for some seriousness. I sincerely want to thank everyone, flames or not, hmm did I ever get a true flame? Anyways, thank you so, so, so much for reading my story, favoriting it, me, and just thanks for your dedication. It was knowing I had readers that made me update when it had been long periods of time and I had no motivation. I owe it all to you guys. **

**I just want to say that if there are any questions that you guys feel need to be cleared up, ask in your review. If I think maybe it's a question everyone needs answered, I'll post it as a Q/A session as a final chapter. **

**I do not plan on making a sequel, I simply don't have time. However, if anybody has any ideas they think would work for a sequel, please tell me and I'll think about it. I make no promises, though. **

**Thank you again, and I look forward to your final reviews. I'm going to miss this story.**

**-Venom and Rebbie. Only partially her though.**


	27. I Can't Believe This

You annoying, annoying people.

Rebbie: She says that with all the love in her heart, she really does.

I do not. Well, maybe I do. Let me explain.

So here I am, totally not planning on writing a sequel, since I have books to write, and two other fanfictions to work on. And here you are, all of you, begging me to write one. Let me note that none of you NOT ONE offered up a single idea. Real helpful guys, real helpful.

Rebbie: Oh, sure, blame it on the fans. That's sure to warm their hearts.

Shut up, nobody likes you. Continuing on. I have decided, and its against my better judgement, to write a sequel to this blasted fic. *pause for applause* Why, may you ask? Because I've been thinking about it and I believe I've come up with a relatively good plot idea. *Pause again for applause*

This story, as of yet, has no title. It just suddenly happened. And I can't promise when it will be up because of my other fictions, which have taken priority.

I will, however, update this story with news of the title and such, when I post it, so you all will be alerted and may check it out.

For now, here is the short summary as of right now.

_Unexpected visitors, Max keeping secrets, and a still-developing eight year old who's even freakier than Angel? Definitely not the ingredients to the perfect family. Wait, Max, why are you leaving without Emmy? _

There you have it. Be patient. It'll be here when it's here. You should be glad I'm even writing it.

-Venom


	28. Sequel Info

Hey yall. Just thought you should know the sequel is up. It's called Remember How It Was.

Summary: Unexpected visitors, Max keeping secrets, and a still-developing eight year old who's even freakier than Angel? Definitely not the ingredients to the perfect family. Wait, Max, why are you leaving without Emmy?

SO I hope you read it!

-Venom


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